The federal government enacted the Federal Contractors Program (FCP) following the Commission on Equality in Employment, 1984. 

 

The Commission found that individuals from the following four designated groups systemically experience discrimination in the labour market: Aboriginal people, women, people with disabilities and visible minorities. Consequently, Commissioner Judge Abella recommended proactive measures for identifying and removing systemic barriers to improve the equitableness in labour market for members of these designated groups. 

 

The FCP requires that any business or organization with 100 or more employees and in receipt of contracts valued $200 000 or more with the Government of Canada are required to have in place an employment equity program. 

 

To maintain compliance with the FCP, organizations are required to meet the following eleven (11) criteria: 

 

1.	Communicate about employment equity to employees	2.	Assign responsibility for employment equity to a senior official
3.	Collect workforce equity-related information	4.	Conduct workforce data analysis
5.	Conduct employment systems reviews	6.	Establish employment equity goals
7.	Develop an employment equity plan	8.	Adopt special measures and reasonable accommodations
9.	Establish a favorable work environment	10.	Adopt monitoring procedures
11.	Authorize federal reviewers to enter premises