Amica’s Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
At Amica we strive to honour the unique backgrounds and personal histories of our residents and team members. We have compassion for each other, and we strive to support a culture where everyone feels they truly belong. Equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is at the heart of our corporate values and comes to life in the way we recognize and celebrate one another’s worth and uniqueness.
ED&I Highlights
Program Manager
In 2021, Amica was among the first senior living organizations in Canada to hire a full-time team member to lead, support and advance ED&I within the organization. The Program Manager is focused on setting goals, providing awareness across the organization and creating a roadmap for Amica’s ED&I journey. Our executive team is committed to our strategic plan.
Amica ED&I Policy
We introduced a new policy to ensure our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is aligned with our mission and strengthened in our Code of Conduct. We take responsibility for providing a workplace where each person’s uniqueness is welcome, where we celebrate the richness of cultures, and where all team members feel safe, supported and encouraged to thrive. Our executive leaders are committed to our strategic plan and responsible for setting and achieving goals related to equity and inclusion.
ED&I Taskforce
Our taskforce unites diverse Amica voices to identify opportunities to weave ED&I into day-to-day life across the organization. Among other initiatives, the taskforce has provided consultation of strategic ED&I initiatives, engaged external expertise to review our Amica policies with an equity lens, hosted webinars to celebrate diversity, organized Amica’s annual cultural calendar, and created toolkits to support leaders on navigating a variety of ED&I related topics.
Employee Training
A mandatory online training program called “Cultivating a Diverse and Inclusive Community at Amica” presented basic concepts about ED&I to leaders and team members.
“It is our shared responsibility to ensure that everyone who walks into Amica feels they don’t have to change to “fit in,” that they don’t have to hide who they are or be someone they are not.”
Doug MacLatchy, CEO
Indigenous @ Amica
Indigenous colleagues and allies came together to launch Amica’s first Employee Resource Group to support their communities after the devastating recovery of unmarked residential school graves. The group fundraises, advocates and raises awareness for Indigenous people.
Multifaith Calendar and Celebrations
We acknowledge and raise awareness about a variety of religious observances and cultural celebrations, such as Asian Heritage Month, Ramadan, Black History Month, Pride and more. “I feel like Amica sees me and I am welcome here,” said one team member.
Increased Representation in Leadership
We increased representation by racialized team members in our Emerging Leadership program and made efforts to diversify our candidate pools when hiring General Managers.
Partnerships
In 2021, Amica became an employer partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI). This gives Amica team members access to CCDI’s extensive resources, research, reports and webinars on topics related to diversity and inclusion. Amica also became an employer member of Pride at Work Canada to help support our commitment to creating a safer, more inclusive workplace that recognizes the skills of LGBTQ2+ people.
