Employee Self-Identification
Section 4 of this page has been updated with simple steps to help you complete or update your self-ID questionnaire in the new system. If you have access to the Parks Canada network, please use myGCHR. If not, you can still use the GCForms option outlined in section 4.You can now complete or update your self-identification information in MyGCHR
Every ripple, every identity, creates waves of inclusion at Parks Canada!
Welcome! The Employee Experience Team, part of the Human Resources and Employee Wellness Directorate, has developed this self-identification content on ParksEXTRAnet to support all employees. This resource highlights the importance and impact of voluntary employee self-identification while providing easier access to information and the updated questionnaire – anytime, from any device. We hope this platform empowers you on our shared journey toward greater inclusion at Parks Canada!
If you have any questions, concerns or require accommodations, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Experience team: ee.questionnaires@pc.gc.ca.
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- Parks Canada’s Commitment
- Every Individual Counts
- The Facts (FAQs) About Self-Identification
- Completing and Updating Your Self-Identification Questionnaire
- Download the Self-ID Poster!
1. Parks Canada’s Commitment
From coast to coast to coast, Parks Canada is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and accessible workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued, and respected. As part of this commitment, we encourage employees to voluntarily self-identify. By doing so, you help contribute to this vision, enabling our organization to:
Understand Our Workforce
Gain insights into the representation of different groups across our workplaces.
Tailor Our Support
Create resources that foster a safe, healthy, and respectful work environment for everyone.
Guide Our Path
Inform research, programs, and policies to better serve the needs of all employees.
Employment Equity at Parks Canada
The 🔗Employment Equity Act establishes employment equity as a legal requirement, ensuring fair and equitable workplace practices. The Act seeks to achieve workplace equality by removing barriers to employment for four designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous peoples[1] (First Nation, Inuit, Métis), persons with disabilities, and racialized peoples[2]. The Act requires employers in federally regulated sectors to implement proactive measures to ensure that these designated groups are fairly represented and have equal opportunities. Overall, the Act helps create a more inclusive and equitable work environment for all employees.
At Parks Canada, merit and equity are fundamental to human resources management. Employment equity strengthens our commitment to ensuring that staffing decisions, training, and career opportunities are based on merit, ensuring that no individual is excluded for reasons unrelated to their qualifications or abilities.
Modernization of the federal Employment Equity Act and self-identification process
In recent years, the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) has been modernizing the Employment Equity Act, including revising the self-identification process. In December 2023, following the release of the report 🔗A Transformative Framework to Achieve and Sustain Employment Equity, TBS collaborated with various departments and federal employee networks to address challenges and ensure data integrity in the self-identification process.
It is important to highlight that data for the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are not collected currently within the self-identification questionnaire. However, the modernization undertaken by TBS will allow the self-identification process to be inclusive of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
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2. Every Individual Counts
Parks Canada’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion thrives when all employees participate – whether or not they belong to a designated employment equity group. You are an essential part of this effort, and your involvement truly makes a difference!
Section A of the self-identification questionnaire is mandatory for all employees. By voluntarily completing Sections B to F, you help our organization by:
- Providing a clear picture of our workforce and how representative we are.
- Identifying areas for improvement in policies, practices, and systems to promote fairness and equity in employment.
- Pinpointing and addressing barriers that may limit or exclude designated groups from opportunities that should be open to all employees.
Your participation helps shape a more inclusive and equitable workplace for everyone.
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3. The Facts (FAQs) About Self-Identification
To better understand self-identification, let’s explore some key facts through a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs):
How will my self-identification data be used?
All self-identification information is used for statistical purposes, including:
- Workforce representation analysis to assess diversity at Parks Canada.
- Identifying and addressing barriers in policies, practices, and systems to enhance fairness and equity in employment.
- Generating data for Parks Canada’s 🔗Employment Equity Annual Report to the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS).
Is my information confidential?
Yes. Your self-identification information is confidential and protected under the Privacy Act.
To protect the confidentiality of employee’s responses and ensure that no data are released that can be traced to the individual:
- Responses are always grouped and reported in aggregate form.
- No data is available for groups with fewer than five (5) respondents to prevent identification.
- Individual responses are never published or shared.
Do I need to provide the self-identification questionnaire to my manager/supervisor?
No. To protect the confidentiality of your information, you must complete the questionnaire yourself and submit it directly to Employment Equity personnel at Parks Canada. For more details, refer to section 🔗4. Completing and Updating Your Self-Identification Questionnaire.
Does my manager/supervisor have access to my self-identification information?
No. Your self-identification information is confidential, and managers or supervisors do not have access to it.
Who has access to my self-identification responses?
Only Parks Canada’s Employment Equity personnel and a limited number of Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) employees responsible for maintaining the Employment Equity Data Bank have access to this information.
As a member of a designated employment equity group, can someone else identify me for employment equity purposes?
No. Self-identification is a personal choice – you can complete the form and identify yourself as an Indigenous person (First Nation, Inuit, Métis), a racialized person, or a person with a disability. Your manager, supervisor, or colleagues cannot provide this information on your behalf without your explicit authorization.
Can I identify as a member of more than one designated employment equity group?
Yes. Employment equity legislation allows employees to self-identify in multiple designated groups. The self-identification questionnaire includes clear definitions to help you accurately determine which group(s) you belong to under this legislation.
I’m worried that if I self-identify, it could be used against me.
We recognize that self-identification is personal and may cause some employees to feel vulnerable. Your privacy and well-being are our top priority. All self-identification data is strictly confidential and used solely for workforce representation analysis, with the overarching goal of creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace for all.
I have previously self-declared as belonging to an employment equity (EE) group when I applied for my current position, why am I being asked to self-identify again?
When applying for a position, you may have been asked to voluntarily self-declare during the application process. However, self-declaration and self-identification are different processes:
- Self-declaration: Voluntary information provided by applicants during appointment processes for statistical purposes. In EE-specific hiring processes, it may also be used to determine eligibility.
- Self-identification: Voluntary information provided by employees for statistical analysis and workforce monitoring. This data helps track the representation and progress of EE groups within the federal public service.
How can I review or update my self-identification information?
You can review and update your self-identification information using:
- the 🔗 GC Forms employee self-identification questionnaire,
- the 🔗 HR Self Service employee self-identification questionnaire on ParksNet.
For step-by-step guidance, refer to section🔗Completing and Updating Your Self-Identification Questionnaire.
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4. Completing and Updating Your Self-Identification Questionnaire
To ensure that the self-identification questionnaire is accessible to all Parks Canada (PC) employees, there are two options for completing your self-ID questionnaire (or Employment Equity self-ID form). Both options ensure your information is securely submitted and kept confidential.
Option A. myGCHR (available on the PC network)
When to use: Use this option if you have access to the Parks Canada Network. It provides you with direct access to the self-identification options.
Considerations:
- You must first complete the Employment Equity Self-ID Form (Part A is mandatory for all employees) to gain access to other Self-Service features within myGCHR.
- You can always use myGCHR to view and update your current self-ID responses – any changes you make are applied automatically.
- If you are a new or returning employee, it is possible that you may not yet have access to the Parks Canada Network and/or myGCHR.
Instructions:
- Within the Employee Self-Service section of myGCHR, you will see a variety of self-service buttons.
- Select the Employment Equity Self-ID Form button - this is our internal self-identification questionnaire for employees.
- Follow the instructions to complete.
- Your responses will automatically update within myGCHR.
Option B. GCForms (available on any internet connection)
When to use: Use this option if you do not have reliable access to the Parks Canada network. If you do have access to the network, please use Option A. myGCHR.
Considerations:
- Your responses will not be added automatically to myGCHR, please allow time for dedicated Employment Equity personnel to process them.
- Using GC Forms, you cannot edit a previous response from a past questionnaire. To make changes, you must complete the full questionnaire again, which will replace your existing record in myGCHR once processed.
Instructions:
- Using any internet-connected device, open the Self-Identification Questionnaire on GC Forms.
- Complete all applicable fields and select “Submit my questionnaire.”
- Your questionnaire will be processed by Employment Equity personnel and once processed, it will populate within myGCHR.
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5. Download the Self-ID Poster!
Do you have space on a bulletin board, employee kiosk, lunchroom, or break room? Consider amplifying awareness of voluntary self-identification by displaying our poster in common areas or sharing it with your team via email.
This poster includes a QR code that employees can scan, click or tap to access the ParksEXTRAnet employee self-identification page, where they will find key information and the questionnaire on GCForms.
- 🔗Download the Self-ID poster (PDF, 3,8 Mb)
Thank you for supporting an inclusive and equitable workplace!
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Related links
[1] The term “Indigenous Peoples” is consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada. In Parks Canada’s Self-Identification content, the legislative term “Aboriginal peoples” that appears in the Employment Equity Act and the Employment Equity Regulations has been replaced with the term “Indigenous peoples.” In December 2023, the Government of Canada committed to replacing the term “Aboriginal peoples” with “Indigenous peoples” and updating the definition to include First Nations, Métis and Inuit.
[2] The term “members of visible minorities” appears in both the Employment Equity Act and the Employment Equity Regulations. The term refers to members of racialized groups or racialized people. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) recognizes that the term “racialized” has gained widespread acceptance in the public service and can therefore be understood as interchangeable with “members of visible minorities” within In Parks Canada’s Self-Identification content. The Government of Canada has committed to replacing the term and updating the corresponding definition.
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