Stantec over the moon about Rainbow Tick

Stantec New Zealand (NZ) has attained Rainbow Tick certification, recognised as being a firm that accepts and values people in the workplace, specifically around embracing the diversity of sexual and gender identities.

The certification process is managed by Rainbow Tick, an organisation dedicated to thoroughly investigating and assessing a workplace’s policies, training, staff and external engagement, and staff support. Rainbow Tick provides training, advice, resources on best practice, recommendations for change, policy writing support, and a final report as part of its evaluation. Certification is reviewed annually.

Project Management Team Leader and Stantec NZ’s diversity and inclusion committee Chair David McDonald was the Company’s driving force to obtain accreditation. ‘This is for every LGBTTQIA+ person in our workforce worldwide. It shows that we care about our staff by putting policies in place to safeguard them and demonstrates to our employees outside Aotearoa who might not feel safe in their own jurisdictions that they can feel safe at work.’

Certification signifies to the public, employees, potential recruits, clients, competitors and the wider community that a Rainbow Tick accredited organisation has met the benchmark for best practice inclusive practices and embraces members of the LGBTTQIA+* community.

‘Our continual quality improvement programme is designed to help an organisation ensure it is a safe and welcoming workplace for employees who are members of the Rainbow community,’ explains Rainbow Tick Programme Manager Caryn Yachinta. ‘International research shows that diverse and inclusive workplaces are more likely to attract high quality applicants, retain staff, and boost productivity. It makes business sense for organisations to fully welcome gender and sexually diverse staff.’

Stantec was evaluated in five key areas: strategy and policy, staff engagement and organisational support, external engagement, organisational development, and monitoring. It met all five areas, exceeding the criteria in some.

‘There’s a strong Rainbow lens on strategy and policy and Rainbow representation is well-resourced and highly valued at Stantec,’ says Caryn. ‘For example, its New Zealand business is well connected to Stantec’s global Diversity and Inclusion Council, and its Pride employee group is well established and has continuous support from senior leaders.’

As part of the certification process Rainbow Tick held two focus groups, and all participants agreed that Stantec is a safe and inclusive workplace for LGBTTQIA+ employees, reinforced by Stantec’s annual Inclusion & Diversity survey results from this year which showed that 81% of its New Zealand employees Strongly Agree or Agree that Stantec values inclusion and diversity.

*LGBTTQIA+ includes but is not limited to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takatāpui, queer/questioning, intersex and asexual +.

About Stantec

Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit us at stantec.com or find us on social media.

About Rainbow Tick

Rainbow Tick is a certification mark for organisations that complete a diversity and inclusion assessment process that tests whether a workplace understands and welcomes sexual and gender diversity.

A supportive work environment that accepts and values people’s differences benefits everybody in an organisation. Getting the Rainbow Tick allows an organisation to show employees, customers and the wider community that it’s progressive, inclusive and dynamic.

Find out more on the Rainbow Tick website.

Media Contact
Paul Bromiley
Stantec Media Relations
Ph: +61 429 529 174
paul.bromiley@stantec.com