Immigrants experience, witness rampant racism, discrimination in the workplace, finds report
About half of new immigrants to Canada say they aren’t seeing equal treatment in their professional life, according to a recent report.
For one, 51.4% of recent and employed immigrants say they report to a manager who is less qualified but Caucasian, reports ComIT.org.
And 50.8% say they report to a manager who is less qualified but second- or third-generation Canadian.
Over six in 10 (61.8%) of immigrants also say they have been passed over for a promotion or job at least once in favour of a less-qualified Caucasian candidate.
And a combined 63.2% of working immigrants say they have been passed over for a promotion or job opportunity in favour of a less qualified candidate who is second or third generation – 33.2% say this has happened multiple times, and 30% say it has happened once.
Also, 63% “agree” (42.8%) or “strongly agree” (24.0%) that there are systematic barriers within their workplaces that hinder the advancement of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
"While we know anecdotally that new immigrants suffer bias and discrimination in the Canadian workplace, it's both jarring and disappointing to see that it happens so openly and frequently," says Pablo Listingart, founder and executive director of ComIT.org. "Clearly there is a new culture crisis in Canadian workplaces, and we all have to work together making sure racism and bias don't become even more prevalent."
Immigrants tend to do worse when it comes to finding a suitable job compared with non-immigrants, according to a previous report from RBC.
Immigrants face culture of racism, discrimination
Immigrants also face a culture of racism and discrimination in Canadian workplaces, according to ComIT.org’s survey of 500 recent Canadian immigrants who have both arrived in the past three to five years and are currently employed in the Canadian workplace.
Over seven in 10 (70.4%) have witnessed or experienced overt racist remarks from colleagues or superiors in their workplaces, with 27.4% saying this happens “frequently” and 43.0% claiming this happens “occasionally”.
And a total of 60.8% of immigrants have experienced microaggressions or subtle forms of discrimination in the workplace weekly (22.4%), monthly (21.0%) and daily (17.4%).
About seven in 10 (69.6%) working immigrants have had cultural traditions or practices misunderstood or ridiculed by colleagues or supervisors “occasionally” (41%) or “frequently” (28.6%).
Nearly three-quarters (74%) have felt pressured – 30.4% say “strongly” pressured and 43.60% say “somewhat” pressured – to conform to cultural norms in the workplace that do not align with their own values or beliefs.
And nearly six in 10 (57.8%) working immigrants say they consciously play down their ethnicity at work “to fit in better”.
"Challenging workplace discrimination and bias is essential to eliminate racism," says Listingart. "It's essential that management and HR create a trusted dialogue where new Canadians can speak freely and honestly when they experience any acts of racism … clearly Canadian workplaces are not making that happen."
Helping immigrants succeed in the workplace
To improve immigrant inclusion in the workplace, governments, employers and immigrant-serving organizations must do the following, according to the Centre for Research on Inclusion at Work at Carleton University:
- Provide specialized incentives for employers hiring immigrants.
- Streamline the process of credentials verification.
- Support long-term professional success.
- Provide funding to immigrant-serving organizations for new types of programs.
“Immigrant employees have a lot to offer to Canadian companies, but their potential is still underutilized,” said the centre in its report.
Artificial intelligence (AI) hiring tools are keeping skilled professional immigrants out of the job market, according to a previous report.
Black, Indigenous and other peoples of colour (BIPOC) in Canada see racial discrimination as a barrier to a successful career, according to a previous report.
