BARRHEAD - A presentation about inclusivity and best practices for hiring library staff took on a life of its own.
That is how Town of Barrhead Coun. Rod Klumph described a discussion at a recent Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL) board meeting during a report at the July 4 council meeting.
Klumph, the town's YRL representative, told councillors about an interesting discussion at a June 27 board meeting.
The YRL is a regional library service that loans out its materials to member libraries, which includes more than 40 municipal and school libraries.
Klumph noted the presentation stated that as part of its hiring process, YRL could not use an accent or other speech impediment as a discriminating factor when considering a job applicant under labour law.
He added that one of the board members challenged that.
Klumph said the board member told them about her difficulty understanding and communicating with her doctor because of his accent.
"She felt terrible and was trying hard to get the information but couldn't because of his thick accent," he said. "She said that organizations must look at their hiring practices to ensure the client is being served. Because if they are not, it causes trouble."
Klumph noted that some board members argued that the employment hiring regulations imposed by the federal government hurt businesses' ability to compete.
"An organization should be able to hire the best candidate, one that fits into their organization," he said. "But they are finding that this policy pressures businesses to hire people based on, you can name the criteria, and is interfering with them running their business and their success rate."
He added, "Making a buck is hard enough without the federal government sticking their nose in and telling people effectively who they can hire."
Klumph added that the discussion about hiring policies to make the workplace more inclusive is only beginning.
"It is an issue bubbling under the surface, even though no one wants to discuss it," he said. "Because if you do, you are labelled a racist. But no, you are just someone trying to make a living and succeed."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
