RECONCILIATION: MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER - TRANSFORMING ORGANIZATION CULTURE PAGE 56
What We Heard BC HOUSING STAFF 5.3.1.1 Current Organization Culture
When asked if respondents had observed or experienced inequitable or discriminatory activities or practices within BC Housing, one staff indicated they were uncertain, seven staff indicated they had, and 12 indicated that they had not. 62 This means that 40% of all staff interviewed are uncertain about experiencing discrimination or have experienced discrimination. BC Housing needs to provide further education internally and to explore what forms of discrimination have taken place or are occurring within the organization. If the organization’s goal is zero tolerance, then it is important to build understanding on the forms and types of discrimination.
Respondents who indicated they had not observed or experienced these behaviours expressed that BC Housing is a diverse and respectful workplace with a safe internal culture. One respondent who identified as a white male, reflected that while he has not observed or experienced anything inequitable or discriminatory, he has never been subjected to discrimination and therefore might not be able to recognize it.
Why This Is Important In order to work effectively with Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations, BC Housing’s culture cannot tolerate discriminatory treatment. Staff who commented that they had not experienced or observed discrimination generally advised that BC Housing is a diverse and respectful workplace This comment should also inform internal discussions regarding what creates the safe internal culture and a respectful workplace. In addition,
“I have never experienced or observed inequitable or discriminatory activities or practices internally within BC Housing’s workplace. You hear things like a joke that are so common in our culture, and after a week you think about it and think, “That may have been something.” But I can’t think of anything specific. – BC Housing Staff Member Of the seven staff that indicated they had observed or experienced these practices, the following examples were provided:
education is critical where individuals are not sure if discrimination exists.
• Micro aggression through the use of racist and discriminatory language by BC Housing staff (e.g., using the term ‘those people’ in a meeting while talking about Indigenous peoples, talking about another person’s skin colour or hair, disparaging comments about Indigenous peoples framed as a joke, casual racism such as calling a colleague racial slurs);
62 Three respondents did not respond to this question.
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