

Simcoe County Local Immigration Partnership Workplace Inclusion Charter
A More Diverse and Welcoming Environment
The Simcoe County Local Immigration Partnership Workplace Inclusion Charter is a voluntary initiative, offering a no-cost toolkit and recognition program for employers in Simcoe County, to foster inclusive work environments.
Workplace inclusion is essential for creating a diverse and welcoming environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and able to contribute their best work. A workplace inclusion charter outlines a set of principles and commitments that an organization voluntarily agrees to uphold in order to promote an inclusive workplace.
Employers may demonstrate their commitment to inclusion in the workplace by:
- Embracing and celebrating diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives among employees.
- Ensuring that all employees are treated with respect, fairness, and equity, regardless of their race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, or other Ontario Human Rights protected grounds.
- Providing all employees with equal access to career development, training, promotions, and other opportunities for professional growth.
- Creating a workplace culture where discrimination, harassment, and bullying are not tolerated and where employees feel safe to speak up and report any incidents.
- Recognizing and supporting the well-being of all employees, including mental health support, work-life balance initiatives, and flexible working arrangements.
The Charter is adaptable for businesses of any size.
By voluntarily endorsing the Charter through a Statement of Commitment, employers are initiating the process of enhancing inclusivity and committing to fulfilling the outlined responsibilities within the Charter.
Employers can select specific commitments to implement in the workplace, and access free resources, training, and support.
Levels of Achievement

Gold Level
Complete all three
(3) organizational
benchmarks, and nine (9)
or more commitments,
including one from
each category

Silver Level
Complete all three
(3) organizational
benchmarks, and six (6)
or more commitments,
including one from
each category

Bronze Level
Complete all three
(3) organizational
benchmarks, and
three (3) or more
commitments

Process
- Demonstrate your organization’s dedication by signing the Statement of Commitment.
- Return the signed Statement of Commitment to sclip@simcoe.ca.
- Share your participation in the Simcoe County Local Immigration Partnership Workplace Inclusion Charter within your organization and with the public.
- Complete the assessment tool provided to understand the state of diversity of your organization in relation to the Charter commitments.
- Identify the Charter commitments you wish to undertake and create an action plan to implement those commitments, with specific and attainable goals and metrics.
- Workplace Inclusion Charter Toolkit provides resources and support throughout the implementation process.
- Provide proof of the successful execution of your commitments through an annual self-reporting letter to sclip@simcoe.ca.
- Getting recognized as a Workplace Inclusion Champion may include:
o County of Simcoe media release
o County of Simcoe social media platforms,
o Year-round exposure on immigration.simcoe.ca and workinsimcoecounty.ca
o Virtual badge to be displayed on social media
o Store-front window decal
o Certificate of achievement
- Workplace Inclusion Champions will be honoured for their outstanding dedication to the Workplace Inclusion Charter and recognized during the annual Newcomer Recognition Awards ceremony.
Sign the statement of commitment
Join us in committing to a workplace where accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just goals, but core values. By signing this Statement of Commitment, you affirm your dedication to fostering an environment that respects and celebrates all individuals, embraces varied perspectives, and promotes a culture of belonging. Together, we can create a thriving workplace that empowers everyone to contribute their unique talents and experiences, to drive innovation and success for all.
Sign the Statement of Commitment and be part of the change!

Commitments and Toolkit
Organizational Benchmarking
As a first step, organizations will embark on a benchmarking process to establish guideposts to developing workplace inclusion plans.
Organizational benchmarking enables organizations to measure their progress toward creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace and helps to set specific, measurable, and achievable goals for improving inclusion and diversity.
Commitments
The Simcoe County Workplace Inclusion Charter includes 29 commitments across four categories: Culture and Leadership, Attraction, Recruitment and Onboarding, Capacity Building, and Policies. The Workplace Inclusion Charter Toolkit provides resources and support throughout the implementation process.
Culture and Leadership
Attraction, Recruitment & Onboarding
Attraction, Recruitment & Onboarding | Resources | Measurements |
---|---|---|
Evaluate attraction, recruitment, and hiring procedures to develop a diverse and equitable pool of candidates and employees. | o Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion – Inclusive Hiring Practices Toolkit o TRIEC – Inclusive Workplace Competencies o WES & #Immigrants Work Coalition – Employer Playbook Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces | Internal HR LMS specific to EDI hiring, recruitment, retention strategy. |
Develop inclusive job postings. Job descriptions should not include unnecessary qualifications or specify the country where experience must be gained. Job descriptions should utilize inclusive language, include applicable National Occupation Classification (NOC) code on all job postings, and welcome applications from candidates of all abilities. | o Hireimmigrants.simcoe.ca – Recruiting o Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion – Inclusive Hiring Practices Toolkit o WES #Immigrants Work Coalition – Employer Playbook Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces | Sample of job descriptions/postings. |
Ensure job postings are advertised across various platforms. Utilize multiple job boards to attract a variety of candidates and establish collaborations with community groups that provide job assistance services or can share the job listing with their members. | o Work In Simcoe Website o County of Simcoe Ethnocultural Groups Booklet o Government of Canada – Canada Research Chairs – Section B. Search of Candidates o WES – Employer Playbook – Reaching Immigrant Talent | A copy/screenshot of job postings on different platforms. |
Attend an Immigration 101 workshop to better understand newcomers’ experiences working, living and belonging in Simcoe County. | Certificate of completion or registration. | |
Include equitable and inclusive questions as part of the interview process to assess candidate’s knowledge and awareness. | o Human Resources Management Association – Hiring and Retaining Skilled Immigrants o Cobleskilll University – DEI Interview Question Sample o University of British Columbia – Fostering Inclusive Excellence Criteria & interview Questions to address Equity, Diversity and Inclusion | Sample of interview questions. |
Develop a welcoming package for new hires (ie. welcome letter from CEO outlining the organization’s commitment to the Workplace Inclusion Charter, incorporate settlement service referrals, information on local recreation programs, parks, transportation, etc). | o WES #Immigrants Work Coalition – Employer Playbook Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces | Copy of welcoming package. |
Implement a ‘buddy’ system by assigning a friendly and culturally sensitive employee to mentor a new hire and share workplace protocols and etiquette (i.e. business attire, lunch and coffee break routines, handling personal phone calls or emails at work, birthday celebrations/social events, etc.). | o Immigration.simcoe.ca – Onboarding – Buddy/mentor system o World Education Services – Buddy UP o TRIEC Buddy Checklist | Email to existing employees to recruit mentors and copy of policy/expectations. |
Develop a list of company-specific terms, acronyms, abbreviations and/or common sector-specific terminology. | N/A | Copy of company-specific terms, acronyms list. |
Capacity Building
Capacity Building | Resources | Measurements |
---|---|---|
Participate in the Simcoe County #ITSTARTS campaign as a Community Champion. | o Immigration.simcoe.ca – #ITSTARTS | |
Enroll one or more leaders in a training/workshop facilitated by the World Education Services (WES) and share what you learned with your teams. | o World Education Services | Certificate of completion or registration. |
Provide a mentoring program and/or learning opportunities to facilitate career mobilization. | o County of Simcoe Growing Together Mentorship Program o CERIC – Why should newcomers be connected to a mentorship program? o TRIEC Mentorship Program | Email to employee. |
Provide accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion training and cultural competency/awareness learning opportunities to all employees. | Training Resources: o Harmony Movement o Making Change o Independent Living Services of Simcoe County and Area o Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle o Barrie Native Friendship Centre o UPLIFT Black | Certificate of completion or registration. |
Learn about foreign credential recognition process(es) for occupations certified by a professional association (i.e. engineer, early learning childhood educator, nurse, etc.) | o World Education Services (WES) – How to obtain authentic international academic credentials o World Education Services (WES) – Best Practices: Strategies and Processes to Obtain Authentic International Educational Credentials o Government of Canada – Learn more about foreign credential recognition in Canada | List of associations for certified occupations in your organization. |
Provide a skills development program, including tuition reimbursement, bridge training programs, etc. | o Government of Canada – Employer subsidies, rebates and tax credits o Quickbooks – 6 Reasons to Implement a Tuition Reimbursement Program for Your Employees o Settlemen.org – What is an industry-specific bridging program? o Ontario – Bridge Training Programs | Copy of program content/email to staff. |
Provide staff learning opportunities on the Ontario Human Rights Code legislation (i.e. lunch and learn, enrolment in workshops, etc.). | o Ontario Human Rights Code – Removing the Canadian Experience ELearning Module o Ontario Human Rights Code – Human Rights and Newcomers eLearning Modules o Ontario Human Rights Code – Duty to Accommodate eLearning Module | Copy of workshop content/email to staff. |