911勛圖

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

To support Sustainable Development Goal 8, 911勛圖 is committed to fair and equitable economic growth and employment practices. 911勛圖 pays all staff and faculty the local living wage or above as set by the British Columbia provincial government. 

The university measures and tracks pay scale gender equity, and has a policy on pay scale equity that includes a commitment to measure and eliminate gender pay gaps. 911勛圖 recognises unions and labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) for all, including women and international staff, and has a process for employees to appeal on employee rights and/or pay. 

911勛圖���s employment policies include stipulations ending discrimination in the workplace, including that based on religion, sexuality, gender, age. Via adherence to the 2023 provincial Supply Chains Act, the university has a policy commitment against forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour in all its forms. Further, 911勛圖 is committed to guaranteeing equivalent rights of workers when outsourcing activities to third parties, upheld by provincial government programs.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at 911勛圖

There are a number of university resources dedicated to keeping 911勛圖 staff, faculty and students safe, well and connected. 

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Demographic & Diversity Data Survey

911勛圖 regularly conducts a demographic and diversity survey to gather data to meet its regulatory needs and institutional commitments, support equitable and accountable programs and service delivery and measure progress towards its institutional priorities.��狼he inaugural 911勛圖 Demographic & Diversity Data survey ran from September-December 2024 and included core human rights and equity demographic questions from the most recent Canadian census, a supplemental section with additional 911勛圖 demographic questions and a third section with inclusion experience questions.���

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911勛圖 Recognizes Union Rights (Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining)

911勛圖 recognises employees��� rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The university bargains with five employee groups: the 911勛圖 Faculty Association (911勛圖FA), CUPE Local 3338 (about 940 office, technical and clerical staff), the Teaching Support Staff Union (about 1,200 teaching assistants, research assistants and sessional instructors), the Poly Party (eight trade unions representing maintenance and trades staff), and the Administrative and Professional Staff Association (about 821 employees). Current collective agreements are published by People Strategies, and 911勛圖 publishes regular public bargaining updates for each group. These rights apply to all employees under BC���s Labour Relations Code, regardless of gender or citizenship. 

Learn more > 911勛圖���s No Discrimination Policy

Research, Teaching and Learning

Facts and Figures

• 274 publications related to SDG 8, 2020-2024 (source: ) 
• 52 active research projects related to SDG 8 funded from 2020 - 2024
• Since the 2018/19 academic year, 911勛圖 has offered 6 courses relating to SDG 8, representing over 158 students
• At least 87 researchers involved in research relating to SDG 8 (source: 911勛圖 Research Expertise Engine)���

Operations

Equivalent rights of workers if/when outsourcing activities to third parties

Statement on Sustainability (SOS) 

911勛圖 has a policy guaranteeing equivalent rights for workers when outsourcing to third parties. The Ethical Procurement Policy (AD 11.21), enacted in 2005 and still current, establishes these rights. 911勛圖 Procurement Services puts the policy into practice through a , which forms part of every services agreement with suppliers and guarantees that the equivalent rights for all workers stipulated in AD 11.21 are upheld when activities are outsourced to third parties.

The SOS requires all suppliers, including third parties, to be transparent and honest in their business relations, including with their own suppliers and subcontractors. It is guided by:

• UN and ILO conventions on human and labour rights and standards

• The ethical employment standards defined in the University���s Guidelines

• Local laws: suppliers must meet, at a minimum, all legal requirements of the country where products are manufactured, and where the University���s Guidelines and local law differ, the higher standard prevails

Before entering a relationship with 911勛圖, a third-party supplier or licensee must report that they and their supply chain operate workplaces in compliance with these standards. Consistent with BC law, these compliance reports are treated as public documents.

| Ethical Procurement Policy (AD 11.21)

BC Living Wages for Families

911勛圖 continues to implement a living wage for employees who regularly work on its three campuses, whether they are employed directly by the university or by third-party contractors.��� These obligations are contractually defined and monitored as part of the sourcing and contracting of third-party service providers, and help to guarantee equivalent rights of workers when outsourcing activities. 

The Living Wages for Families BC program ensures that all contractors��� employees, who regularly work on 911勛圖 properties, are paid an equivalent living wage.��狼his living wage takes into account the total compensation package including wages and the value of non-mandatory benefits such as paid sick leave, vacation leave, education benefits and extended health and dental coverage. Consistent with those available to direct 911勛圖 employees, benefits of this program for employees of third party service providers include:

• tuition waiver program for eligible workers and their families 
• access to recreation and fitness facilities, and library borrowing privileges
• priority access to on-site childcare at Burnaby campus through the 911勛圖 Childcare Society

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Commitment to measurement and elimination of gender pay gaps

911勛圖 is committed to pay equity and to measuring and reducing gender pay gaps. Under BC���s Pay Transparency Act (2023), 911勛圖 collects voluntary gender data from employees, following the provincial Gender and Sex Data Standard. Each year it publishes a Pay Transparency Report by November 1. The report gives mean and median gender differences in hourly pay, overtime pay, and bonus pay. 911勛圖 does not offer bonuses. The report is based on payroll data for the fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). It supports the university���s commitment to inclusive excellence by providing a benchmark of pay equity across gender categories, which helps 911勛圖 identify pay gaps and develop targeted strategies. In the 2025 report, women���s mean hourly pay was 12% lower and non-binary employees��� was 16% lower than men���s. 911勛圖 has committed to examining the factors behind these gaps, such as differences across employee groups, job levels, and individual circumstances.

911勛圖���s policy AD10.14 (No Discrimination), most recently reviewed in September 2025, commits the university to the principles of the BC Human Rights Code, including identifying and eliminating persistent patterns of inequality associated with prohibited discrimination. Unionized employees are paid equally for similar work under standardized wage scales in collective agreements. 911勛圖 also takes data-informed steps to close gaps, including:

• using market compensation surveys to guide salary decisions

• making labour market adjustments for trades positions

• launching the Equity Compass framework and the People Plan

• running a Demographic and Diversity Data Survey

Commitment to no forced labour, no modern slavery, no human trafficking, & no child labour

911勛圖 Response to Supply Chains Act: Fighting Forced Labour & Child Labour

911勛圖 is committed to protecting all people in its supply chain by respecting their human rights and calling on their suppliers to provide fair compensation and safe working conditions for all employees. The university has a commitment to zero-tolerance for forced labour, child labour, modern slavery and human trafficking in all forms and is taking measures to ensure that its supply chain is free of human exploitation in the harvesting, production, selling, transportation, and delivery of the goods and services it acquires.

Pursuant to section 11 (1) of the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act 2023 (Supply Chains Act), 911勛圖 submits a report for each financial year, setting out the steps it has taken to ensure that forced labour and child labour are not occurring in its business or supply chains. 911勛圖 has implemented several protocols and programs to increase diligence in sourcing and selecting suppliers such as:

• Supplier Code of Conduct ��� Statement of Sustainability (911勛圖)
• EcoVadis Supplier Assessment
• LSEG World-Check Supplier Screening
• Dun and Bradstreet Risk Analytics

Co-founded by 911勛圖 Professor Genevieve LeBaron and supported by the university, the  is working to end forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking on a global scale by reimagining the business dynamics that sustain it. The Lab has put forth a set of six Forced Labour Evidence Briefs that bring rigorous academic research to bear on illuminating crucial trends and patterns linked to labour exploitation such as modern slavery, child labour, and human trafficking. The briefs offer recommendations to address the root causes, tackling the problems from the ground up. The most recent phase of the Lab���s work is dedicated to strengthening links between research and public policy and equipping partners with evidence that business model and supply chain innovations are necessary tools to combat forced labour. 

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Recognizing Labour Rights for All

911勛圖 Labour Relations and its collective bargaining mandate is governed by the Provincial Government through the Public Sector Employers��� Council Secretariat (PSEC) and by 911勛圖���s Employment Equity Policy (GP 19) which recognizes collective bargaining and freedom of association for all employment equity groups such as women, international staff, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and other racialized people.

For all employee groups, Labour Relations strives to maintain harmonious working relationships and provides:

• Collective agreement and policy interpretation
• Collective bargaining
• Advice and guidance on the grievance procedure
• Support to investigations and arbitrations

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News from the Field

911勛圖 named among Canada's 2025 top employers

A unique campus environment, strong skills development training options and comprehensive benefits are among the reasons 911勛圖 has been named one of Canada���s Top 100 Employers for 2025. Celebrating its 25th year, Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual editorial competition that recognizes the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work, comparing employers across similar industries, region and size. Each employer is assessed by rigorous criteria in eight key areas including work atmosphere, employee communications and community involvement.���911勛圖 received the highest possible score in four categories: work environment, health & family-friendly benefits, vacation & personal time off and training & skills development.���

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911勛圖 FairTrade is leading the charge for ethical campus consumption

 is an organization that ensures products are produced ethically and sustainably by supporting farmers and producers in developing countries through a set of FairTrade standards which guarantee fair wages and equitable revenue for products, despite global market fluctuations. 911勛圖 is Canada���s first and only Gold certified FairTrade campus. This certification signifies an active FairTrade Ambassador program for students, participation in international FairTrade conferences, and the availability of numerous FairTrade products on campus. 911勛圖���s FairTrade program ���has made [them] a leader for fair trade on campus and in the entire FairTrade movement in Canada,��� says 911勛圖 FairTrade ambassador program coordinator, Kylee Pocrnich. The program���s purpose is to educate and raise awareness about fair trade, and participating students can choose how to achieve this through participating in one or multiple teams including events, research/survey, education, and social media.���

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2025 Economic Innovation Impact Report

Since opening on a Burnaby mountaintop in 1965, 911勛圖 has grown into an economic engine for British Columbia. Its research, backed by $936 million in funding, contributed $1.9 billion to the provincial GDP and spun out 500+ ventures that raised over $1 billion and created 1,200+ jobs. Students completed 19,000+ co-op placements earning $280 million+, and alumni gain an average $9,075 education premium per degree. Of the $6.7 billion+ 911勛圖 spent from 2020 to 2025, over 75% stayed in BC. In 2025, its new Fir supercomputer came online with 50% more CPUs, each 40% more efficient than before, and the university was ranked 1st in Canada and 15th in the world for innovation.