Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2025) - Flipbook - Page 28
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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS (2025)
At GHD, resource groups are at the centre of inclusion
to people in the organization.”
The ERGs provided input into
the recent accomplishments,
and to GHD initiatives such as a
national benefits program review
which resulted in paid parental
leave that is gender agnostic,
parental leave for same-sex partners, and the addition of gender
affirmation surgery coverage.
Their input has made online
meetings more inclusive with
reminders for people to describe
themselves, turn on captions and
make presentations accessible.
And the groups have started to
work together.
GHD recently implemented paid parental leave that is available to all of its employees, regardless of
orientation.
A
fter seven years working
with GHD, Ian Collins
is wearing a number of
hats. He works to make
contaminated environments safe
for repurposing or redevelopment.
As the co-ordinator for the
Americas for the Contamination
Assessment and Remediation
service line, he improves digital
workflows and connects people
to others who can help. And he
is chair of the Pride Alliance, the
LGBTQIA2S+ employee resource
group (ERG).
“It’s doable because we work in
such a collaborative and supportive environment,” says Collins,
senior environmental risk assessor
and engineer.
GHD is a leading professional
services company operating
in the global markets of water,
energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and
transportation. Nearly a quarter
of employees are offered shares in
the business, which is 100 per cent
employee-owned.
Three years ago, GHD hired
Sadaf Parvaiz to lead a team to
develop and implement a global
diversity, equity and inclusion
(DEI) strategy. “Our focus is to
weave inclusion and diversity
into all facets of our culture and
business processes to create a
workplace where everyone feels
like they belong,” says Parvaiz,
global enterprise inclusion and
diversity leader.
Two major accomplishments
from 2024 were the launch of the
Canadian Reconciliation Action
Plan, and the commitment to have
women in 40 per cent of the roles
at all levels of the organization
by 2030. Now, the organization
has begun a self-identification
campaign, asking employees
to voluntarily disclose demographic information so GHD can
understand the composition of
the workforce and uncover needs
specific to different communities.
“ERGs are the heart and soul
of our DEI strategy,” says Parvaiz.
“They are a conduit to give us
input and feedback and they also
communicate GHD initiatives out
Our focus is to
weave inclusion
and diversity into
all facets of our
culture and business
processes to create
a workplace where
everyone feels like
they belong.”
— Sadaf Parvaiz
Global Enterprise Inclusion
and Diversity Leader
“Now we’re seeing an allyship,
not just from executive sponsors
and other leaders who support the
groups, but also from employees
with different or multiple identities who come together to learn
from each other and address more
holistic or systemic challenges,”
says Parvaiz.
GHD held several allyship
events in a crossover series for all
groups, and there have been joint
events such as a book review with
