2022-23 OSFI Employee Survey (ES)
Final Report

Prepared for Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)

Supplier Name: Environics Research
Contract Number: CW2237517
Contract Value: $79,468.38 (including HST)
Award Date: 2022-08-11
Delivery Date: 2023-05-17

Registration Number: POR 027-22

For more information on this report, please contact OSFI at: information@osfi-bsif.gc.ca

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

Copyright

2022-23 Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Employee Survey (ES)

Final Report

Prepared for Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)
Supplier: Environics Research
Registration: POR 027-22

May 2023

Permission to reproduce

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from OSFI. For more information on this report, please contact OSFI at: information@osfi-bsif.gc.ca

Catalogue Number:

IN4-29/2023E-PDF

International Standard Book Number (ISBN):

ISBN 978-0-660-49049-6

Related publications (registration number: POR 027-22)

Catalogue Number: IN4-29/2023F-PDF (Final Report, French)

ISBN 978-0-660-49050-2

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as presented by the Minister of Finance, 2023

Table of contents

• Executive summary
  • Summary of Findings
  • Cost of Research
• Introduction
  • Methodology
  • Response Rates
  • Quality Control
  • Qualitative Analysis of Comments
  • How to Interpret the Results
  • Key Findings
• Detailed Findings
  • A. My Organization
  • B. Leadership - Immediate Supervisor
  • C. Leadership - Senior Management
  • D. My Job/My Career
  • E. Official Languages
  • F. Wellbeing
• Appendix A: Respondent Profile
• Appendix B: Email invitation
• Appendix C: Email Reminders
• Appendix D: Deadline Extension Email
• Appendix E: Last Day Reminder
• Appendix F: Survey Instrument - English
• Appendix G: Survey Instrument - French
• Appendix H: Full Set of Tabulated Data

Executive summary

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Canada is the federal regulator and supervisor of approximately 1,800 financial institutions, including deposit-taking institutions, insurance companies and federally regulated private pensions plans. OSFI regularly conducts a survey of all eligible employees at four locations across Canada. The employee survey seeks to assess employee levels of satisfaction and to identify potential areas for improvement. This report presents the 2023 findings and provides a discussion of these results in comparison to the 2020 OSFI employee survey.

The survey was made available in both official languages and was completed online by OSFI employees between January 16th to February 24th, 2023. The questionnaire explored various themes of employee satisfaction. Survey results are explored overall, in comparison to the previous years' results and by OSFI sector. An overall response rate of 73% was achieved. Since the survey attempted to include all employees (i.e., was conducted as a census), it is unnecessary to apply a margin of error to the survey results and the results are considered representative of the population of OSFI employees.

Summary of Findings

• Overall results in 2023 are positive across most thematic areas.
• The most positive results are in the Immediate Supervisor theme, consistent with 2020.
• Still strong, but somewhat less so, are results in My job/My career and Wellbeing categories.
• Results vary by region, sector/group, tenure at OSFI, and age group.
  • Employees in the Superintendent’s Office & Internal Audit provided the highest average scores while those in the Supervision Sector provided lower scores.
  • Employees who have worked at OSFI for less than two years give higher average scores than those who have been employees longer.
  • OSFI employees who are younger than 30 years old give higher average scores than those older.
  • While results of questions on Official Languages were generally positive, employees in bilingual regions (Ottawa and Montreal) provided lower scores than those in unilingual regions (Toronto and Vancouver)
• To align with current OSFI priorities, the 2023 questionnaire was updated, resulting in an overall mean score that is not directly comparable to the 2020 overall mean score. For comparison purposes only, the 37 scale questions that remained the same from 2020 to 2023 were calculated into a parallel mean that showed a decline in 2023.

The results of this research will be used to help identify areas of improvement for OSFI going forward.

Cost of Research

The contract value was $79,468.38 (including HST)

Political neutrality statement and contact information

I hereby certify as senior officer of Environics that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity, and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Stephanie Coulter
Senior Research Associate, Corporate and Public Affairs
stephanie.coulter@environics.ca

Supplier name: Environics Research Group
Contract number: CW2237517
Original contract date: 2022-08-11

For more information, contact OSFI at: information@osfi-bsif.gc.ca

Introduction

OSFI employs over 900 people in four different locations (Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver) to meet its mandate as the federal regulator and supervisor of approximately 1,800 financial institutions, including deposit-taking institutions (e.g., banks), insurance companies (life and property & casualty), and federally regulated private pensions plans.

As per OSFI’s 2022-23 Departmental Plan, one of OSFI’s key priorities is related to Culture Initiatives: OSFI is a workplace where curious, diverse, high integrity colleagues are safe to bring their true and best selves to work every day and are safe to fail and then adapt. This research and survey support the gathering of information that will help develop and execute an updated Human Capital Strategy, embed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within OSFI, implement ongoing monitoring of OSFI’s cultural promises and commitments, review competency models and performance assessment methods, and implement training and/or supports to nurture the fulfilment of OSFI’s promises and commitments. This research collects the feedback of OSFI employees about various aspects of their working environment including (but not limited to): overall employee satisfaction, internal communication, performance management, career development, work-life balance, leadership, use of official languages, culture, as well as diversity and inclusion. The results will be used to assess and address specific organizational matters.

The survey is designed to measure key areas that impact employee retention and engagement, e.g., my organization, immediate supervisor, senior management, my job/career, official languages, and wellbeing.

Other objectives include:

• To give employees a chance to be heard.
• To identify emerging or changing issues of importance to employees.

Methodology

The OSFI Employee Survey is an ongoing research project going back to 2005. The 2023 iteration of the survey was available for employee participation from January 16th to February 24th, 2023.

The survey used a census approach. All OSFI employees who have been with the organization for at least three months (by the launch date) were invited to complete the survey. Following the initial email invitation from Environics to each employee’s OSFI email address, four reminders were sent to non-responders. As well, internal communications support was provided within OSFI. In communications, employees were informed that their privacy would be respected throughout the research process.

The survey was available to all employees in English and French; 93% of respondents completed the survey in English and 7% in French. The survey took an average of 20 minutes to complete.

Environics worked in consultation with OSFI to develop the 2023 survey, which consisted of tracking metrics as well as new questions to reflect current OSFI priorities. The survey contained a total of 87 closed-ended questions (ten of which are demographic questions) and one open ended (comment) question organized into six thematic sections (plus a section for demographics). In total, 72 questions (out of 87) can be compared directly to the 2020 results (37 questions with 5-point scales and 35 other questions).

Response Rates

In total, 984 employees were invited to participate with 721 employees completing the survey for an overall response rate of 73%. This is a decrease of seven percentage points since 2020, when the participation rate was 80% (672/841). This is a steeper decline than noted in previous years; the participation rate was 81% in 2019, 85% in 2018 and 87% in 2017.

The response rate differed among sectors; those in the Strategy, Risk and Governance (55%) and the Corporate Services and Transformation (55%) sectors were the least likely to respond and those in the Policy, Innovation and Stakeholder Affairs (69%) sector were the most likely to. Among employees who responded, 16% chose not to identify their work unit (compared with 23% in 2020), effectively reducing the response rate in various sectors/groups. Most identified their sector/group, with 14% not identifying any affiliation at all (compared to 10% in 2020).

The response rate was calculated for each sector by dividing the total number of responses for a sector by the total number of employees for that sector. Since some employees did not identify their sector, they are only included in the overall calculation where the total number of responses (721) is divided by the total number of OSFI employees (984). As a result, the response rate for any given sector may be higher than reported in Table 1 as the 102 employees who did not report their sector would otherwise be included in their response rate.

Since the survey attempted to include all employees (i.e., was conducted as a census) it is unnecessary to apply a margin of error to the survey results. There is limited potential for non-response bias where 73% of the population is included.

Quality Control

The survey instrument was programmed on a secure server over the Internet. Individuals were provided with a hypertext link with a unique PIN embedded ensuring that only invited OSFI employees had access to the questionnaire. It also allowed them to go back into the survey to complete or change information and be automatically returned to the last question they responded to. Once the survey was completed, it was locked, which ensured that questionnaires could not be completed more than once.

The draft questionnaire was pre-tested online with 17 employees at OSFI, including 14 in English and 3 in French.

Qualitative Analysis of Comments

A qualitative review highlights themes for each subject area of the survey. Each respondent had one opportunity to provide an open-ended response. Of the 721 completed surveys, 173 (24% of respondents) provided a valid open-ended comment to be shared with the executive committee. The proportion of respondents who provided comments has increased since 2020, where 19% left an open-ended comment to be shared with the executive committee.

The table below indicates the general subject areas respondents flagged with their comments; however, employee comments often related to more than one subject and are reported qualitatively in appropriate themes through the report.

Please note that there is a tendency for participants to comment in those areas where they feel more negative. As a result, these reviews serve to illustrate commonalities between comments and should not be seen to represent all employees.

How to Interpret the Results

The tables in this document include percentages for each response but they exclude “Don’t know” and “Prefer not to say” in the calculation of the percentages. All questions were asked to all employees unless otherwise noted (sample sizes are provided).

The analytical text descriptions of results typically combine “strongly” and “somewhat” agree/disagree into overall agreement/disagreement.

Any average listed in a table that is followed by the letter “n” inside brackets, “(n)” indicates that it is notably higher or lower than the comparable question in 2020.

Percentages in tables may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

The 2022/2023 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) results had not yet been released at the time of the analysis therefore comparison to the 2022-2023 PSES results is not included.

Key Findings

Survey results were explored overall, in comparison to previous years’ results, and by sector/group of OSFI. Of the six sectors/groups, the highest concentration of employees who responded comes from Supervision Sector at 33%. In terms of location, the concentration is largely split between Toronto (47%) and Ottawa (41%) with two per cent of respondents working in Montreal and fewer in Vancouver (1%), leaving a portion of survey respondents who chose not to indicate their location (8%).

There was an even split among employees responding by gender (41% male, 41% female) with 17% who chose not to specify. Employees with between two and 15 years of experience with OSFI make up the majority of the respondents at 56%, leaving 19% responses coming from newer employees (with less than two years at OSFI) and 13% who have been with OSFI for more than 15 years. A large majority of those who responded are RE employees (70%) with the balance being REX (16%) or undisclosed (14% prefer not to say). More than nine in ten (93%) chose to complete the survey in English (compared to 7% who chose to respond in French).

Across the 41 closed-ended scale questions in the survey, the average index score is 4.13. Those in Superintendent's Office and Internal Audit have the highest index score overall (4.39), followed by those in the Office of the Chief Actuary (4.33), and Corporate Services and Transformation Sector (4.30). The index scores in Supervision Sector (4.06) and those who preferred not to say their sector/group (3.81) are below 2023’s OSFI-wide average.

Table 5 provides an overall view of the results in each thematic section for each sector/group. The most positive results are in the Immediate Supervisor theme. Results in My Job/My Career and Wellbeing are also comparably more positive than other themes.

Detailed Findings

A. My Organization

Summary

• A majority of employees agree (86%) that OSFI implements activities and practices that support a diverse workplace, a notable increase since 2020 (80%). In line with this, more employees believe (81%) that OSFI works hard to create a workplace that prevents discrimination, compared to 2020 (72%).
• Most employees agree (79%) that learning opportunities offered by OSFI have increased their capacity to be inclusive in the workplace.
• About one in three agree (36%) that systemic barriers to inclusion exist at OSFI, a decrease from 2020 (42%). Agreement in 2023 is higher among employees who did their survey in English (37% vs. 22% French), employees without direct reports (40%), and those with disabilities (59%).
  • Among employees who agree that systemic barriers to inclusion exist at OSFI, seven in ten (70%) mention organizational barriers (i.e., policies, procedural, or practices that prevent individuals from participating fully in a situation).
• Seven in ten employees (73%) agree they get the support they need to manage their career, a result that has held steady since 2020 (74%) and 2019 (72%). Also steady since 2020 (89%) and 2019 (88%) is feeling as though they contribute to the success of the organization, agreed on by a large majority of employees (87%).
• A large majority (88%) say they can attend training opportunities that are available at OSFI at least occasionally, unchanged since 2020 (88%). About half (48%) of employees say they are able to attend regularly. Employees more likely to say ‘regularly’ include those working in the Supervision Sector (59%).
  • ‘Workload’ (87%) is the most reported barrier among those unable to attend training opportunities regularly, followed by ‘relevant training is not available’ (29%). These results are consistent with 2020.
• Seven in ten employees agree (70%) that communications from members of the Executive Committee keep them informed about issues that matter to them, a decline since 2020 (75%).
• Agreeing that communication is effective between teams within their sector/group (63%) has decreased since 2020 (72%).
  • Agreement that communication is effective is more common among those ranked as REX (73%) and employees who have been employed by OSFI for more than 15 years (76%) or less than 2 years (71%).
  • Employees who completed their survey in French are somewhat less likely (53% vs. 64% English) to agree that communication is effective between teams within their sector/group.
• Close to three in ten employees (28%) intend to seek a job outside of OSFI within the next 12 months, a proportion that has increased since 2020 (20%). The most common reasons include ‘no growth opportunities’ (45%), ‘feeling undervalued’ (45%) and ‘OSFI’s culture/workplace’ (40%). Believing there are ‘no growth opportunities’ has decreased since 2020 (65% vs. 45% in 2023) while ‘OSFI’s culture/workplace’ has increased since 2020 (29% vs. 40% in 2023); ‘Feeling undervalued’ has remained the same.
  • Employees who have intentions of looking for a new job are less likely to disclose their sector or location than those who do not.
  • Employees who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (41%) are more likely to have intentions of looking for a new job compared to those who do not identify as such (23%). This is also true of employees with a disability (40%), compared to those who do not have a disability (24%).
  • Within the 'other' category, the Return to Office Mandate was a dominant reason for seeking a new job; approximately half of those who said ‘other’ mentioned this in their response. Lack of promotional opportunities and discontentment with management were also common mentions.

Comment Analysis

A total of 9 open-ended comments involved training. 

• Ensuring a proper onboarding process and fostering cross departmental collaboration are two areas of improvement noted in employee comments. This is top of mind for employees due to recent growth/hiring at OSFI.
• According to some comments, managers/immediate supervisors could do better at encouraging/valuing training opportunities, so that more employees feel compelled to take part.

A total of 24 open-ended comments involved communications. 

• Employees mention that internal messaging related to the Hybrid model has felt mixed in meaning and is generally unclear.
• The new organizational structure and ongoing transformation at OSFI has left employees feeling confused about roles and responsibilities. Some perceive a lack of communication between sectors leading to duplication of work. More communication and alignment between sectors/teams may help mitigate these challenges and help them visualize the “big picture.”
• Several comments mention having less visibility and very few opportunities to communicate with the Superintendent.

B. Leadership - Immediate Supervisor

Summary

• Results related to immediate supervisors remain positive, as in previous years. In particular, employees agree that their immediate supervisor ‘treats employees with respect (91%), ‘appreciates their work’ (90%), is ‘open to the suggestions of his/her employees’ (89%) and ‘creates an inclusive workplace’ (89%). Most mean scores remain statistically similar to 2020, with one notable increase in the proportion who are likely to be confident approaching their immediate supervisor about concerns without fear of reprisal.
• A large majority (88%) feel confident approaching their immediate supervisor about issues or concerns without fear of reprisal. This has significantly increased since 2020 (81%). The proportion of those who agree (79%) that feedback from their immediate supervisor helps them improve work performance has remained consistent with 2020 (80%).
  • Confidence approaching their immediate supervisor about issues or concerns is higher among OSFI employees of less than 2 years (95%).
  • Agreement that feedback from their immediate supervisor helps them improve work performance is higher among OSFI employees of less than 2 years (91%).
• Close to four in ten (36%) employees say they have direct reports. Of these, over half (56%) agree that they have the support they need to address unsatisfactory performance issues. Agreement that they have the support they need has declined by 11 percentage points since 2020 (67%) Most with direct reports also say that they have access to resources to support employees on their team experiencing personal challenges (73%), in line with 2020 (77%).
• Positivity related to immediate supervisors is higher among those who report to an RE-07 or below, followed by an REX-07, then lowest among those reporting to an REX-08 or above.

Comment Analysis

A total of 19 open-ended comments involved My Immediate Supervisor.

• There is a consensus that immediate supervisors have an important role in permeating healthy work culture by encouraging training, being transparent when communicating, etc.
• Some employees mentioned feeling a shift in the culture at OSFI, with increasing pressure being transferred from senior management onto immediate supervisors. With immediate supervisors experiencing more stress, there is a domino effect as this stress is passed on to direct reports. This shift is attributed to current conditions of rapid growth and hiring at OSFI.
• While some employees are content with their capacity to take part in training activities, some could benefit from more encouragement coming from their immediate supervisors to take part in training opportunities.

C. Leadership - Senior Management

Summary

• This year, confidence in the Executive Committee to lead OSFI experienced a sharp decline in the proportion of employees who agree (70%). In 2020, a proportion of 84% agreed; 80% in 2019 and 72% in 2018.
  • This decline in confidence is in line with a decreasing proportion who agree that OSFI’s Executive Committee treats employees with respect (74% in 2023 vs. 86% in 2020) and that OSFI’s Executive Committee leads by example (67% in 2023 vs. 74% in 2020).
  • Compared to other sectors, employees in the Supervision Sector are the least likely to agree OSFI’s Executive Committee treats employees with respect (41%), that it leads by example (62%), and least likely to have confidence in the Executive Committee to lead OSFI (64%).
  • Employees who are younger than 30 years old are more likely to agree that OSFI’s Executive Committee treats employees with respect (90%).
• In a new question introduced this year, a little over two thirds agree (68%) that OSFI’s Executive Committee creates an inclusive workplace. Those who agreed are more likely to be newer employees of less than two years (83%).
• Confidence in the Senior Management team to lead OSFI (70%) has decreased since 2020 (80%).
  • In addition to a decline in confidence, the proportion of employees who agree that OSFI’s Senior Management team treats employees with respect also declined (76% in 2023 vs. 82% in 2020). Agreement that OSFI’s Senior Management team leads by example, however, has remained steady (68% in 2023 vs. 70% in 2020).
  • Employees who are younger than 30 years are more likely to agree (93%) that OSFI’s Senior Management team treats employees with respect.
• In another new question introduced this year, three quarters agree (74%) that OSFI’s Senior Management team creates an inclusive workplace (this is a larger proportion than the 68% who feel the same about the Executive Committee).
  • Employees who are younger than 30 years are more likely to agree (93%) that OSFI’s Senior Management team creates an inclusive workplace.

Comment Analysis

A total of 105 open-ended comments involved Senior Management.

• Lack of alignment at the Senior Management level has had a trickle-down effect on OSFI employees, causing some to feel that prioritization or responsibilities are unclear. Some employees have also felt an influx of stress and pressure from above to meet targets. Because of this, employees allude to a changing culture and some unfavourable shifts in the way that Senior Management is treated, and how it is treating others.
• Several comments mentioned a need for data-driven policy making and more “radical transparency” to help them understand decisions such as return-to-office, new hiring, project resources, etc. Then, those decisions need to be communicated clearly from senior management.
• According to some employees, people promoted to senior roles are often missing crucial “people skills.” Employees have noticed negative change in the way senior leaders communicate with others, likely from a place of stress or pressure. Several comments mention witnessing hostile interactions between Senior Management toward employees during meetings.
• Some feel that Senior Management should seek and listen to employees’ opinions and feedback more proactively.

A total of 134 open-ended comments involved Executive Committee.

• Most comments are related to announcements of OSFI’s hybrid working model, and disagreement with how it was decided upon then communicated to OSFI employees. Some feel that the move from PIVOT to the hybrid model has intersected at a time when employees already feel stressed due to ongoing change at OSFI, resulting in less work/life balance they enjoyed while working from home.
• Several employees feel that the EC is ‘out of touch’ with OSFI employees; stating that its members have been less visible, leaving employees with fewer opportunities to interact or hear from them directly.
• Some comments indicate that the Executive Committee could do a better job of understanding and addressing concerns about stress and mental health, including those of REX staff.
• There is concern that the EC hasn’t put any measures in place to mitigate the impact of an increased workload and work pace. Decision-making “from the top” has felt rushed to several employees, and some feel they have not had sufficient opportunity to provide input.

D. My Job/My Career

Summary

• A strong majority of nine in ten employees (90%) agree they feel proud of the contributions their work makes to OSFI, unchanged since 2020 (90%).
• The proportion of employees (84%) who feel encouraged to be innovative or take initiative in their work continues to increase (compared to 82% in 2020, 81% in 2019 and 76% in 2018).
  • Compared to other Sectors, employees working within the Office of the Chief Actuary (94%) and Corporate Services and Transformation Sector (90%) are most likely to feel this way.
• Eight in ten (81%) employees agree their position makes good use of their personal strengths, a result that is consistent with 2020 (83%). Also consistent is the proportion who agree they get the coaching to do their job well (74% in 2023; 70% in 2020).
• This year, a question was introduced measuring employees’ understanding of the Leadership Competency Model and the behaviours they are expected to model. Most (85%) at least somewhat agree that they have an understanding of this.
  • Agreement with understanding the Model is higher among employees at the REX level (95%) and those with direct reports (93%). It is also higher among employees 50+ years old (95%).

Comment Analysis

A total of 29 open-ended comments involved My job/My career.

• There seems to be a consensus that the transformation has brought on increased workloads and a rushed pace of work. Employees have flagged or witnessed an ongoing lack of capacity/resources. This has resulted in employees feeling less connected to their senior leaders and frustration that their input is not valued.
• Several employees note a lack of understanding of roles, responsibilities, and methods of collaboration between sectors. Some employees feel they are working in silos which makes their job feel isolated and disconnected from other sectors/teams. This has resulted in more feelings of instability and confusion on their teams.
• Hiring and promotions are a place of stress for employees with career goals at OSFI. Some feel that fewer promotions are chosen out of internal processes. Others feel there is too much hiring for senior positions, and less to circumvent recent capacity issues.

E. Official Languages

Summary

• Results in the Official Languages theme are generally positive however slightly less so for bilingual regions.
  • Employees feel free to use the official language of their choice when communicating with their immediate supervisor (95%); this result has been consistent since 2018. Majorities of employees also feel free to use their official language of choice during meetings with their team (88%) and when preparing written material for internal purposes (89%).
  • Compared to employees who completed their survey in French, those who completed their survey in English are more likely to feel free to use the official language of their choice when preparing written materials (92% English; 47% French) and during meetings (92% English; 45% French).
  • Employees working in unilingual regions are more likely to feel free to use the official language of their choice during meetings (96%) than those in bilingual regions (82%). This is also true when preparing written material for internal purposes (95% in unilingual regions; 85% in bilingual regions).
• Agreement that training offered by OSFI is available in their official language of choice (95%) is high and steady compared to 2020 (95%).

Comment Analysis

A total of 9 open-ended comments involved Official Languages.

• While some feel that bilingualism is encouraged at OSFI, others feel that staff who know French are expected to work in French.
• Some employees expressed negativity and confusion about who is or is not eligible to receive bilingualism bonus pay.
• A few mention that francophones are sometimes asked to translate for their anglophone colleagues. This tends to happen with internal emails and other communications in rushed situations, when the turn-around time from translation services is too long.

F. Wellbeing

Summary

• Half of employees (52%) feel they can initiate a formal recourse process without fear or reprisal, an increase since 2020 (41%).
  • Those more likely to feel this way include employees working in the Corporate Services and Transformation Sector (64%) and the Strategy, Risk and Governance Sector (59%). Additionally, newer employees who have worked at OSFI for less than 2 years (77%), those without direct reports (58%), and those who do not report having a disability (58% vs. 39% with a disability). Employees who report having been the victim of harassment (29%), discrimination (20%) or micro-aggressions (35%) are less likely to agree, compared those who haven’t.
• A majority of over eight in ten employees (83%) feel they have flexibility to prioritize tasks and responsibilities when facing multiple demands at work. While this is statistically consistent with 2020, (86%) there has been a decline since 2019 (90%).
• A proportion of almost nine in ten employees (86%) agree their work unit offers an environment where they feel confident to speak up and express opinions. This has increased since 2020 (81%).
  • Confidence to speak up is higher among those working at OSFI for less than two years (98%) and those without direct reports (91%).
  • Confidence to speak up is lower among those who report having been the victim of harassment (65%), discrimination (65%) or micro-aggressions (66%).
• Seven in ten employees (73%) agree that OSFI provides appropriate resources to support balancing work, family and personal life; this has decreased compared to 2020 (77%) and 2019 (80%).
  • Agreement is somewhat higher among employees working within the Office of the Chief Actuary (87%) and Corporate Services and Transformation Sector (81%). Additionally, it is higher among employees with a designated OSFI office in Ottawa (80%).
• About eight in ten (78%) employees agree that OSFI does a good job of raising awareness of mental health in the workplace. This result has remained in the range of 76% to 78% since 2019.
• This year, employees were again asked whether they’re able to bring their whole self to work. Consistent with 2020 (74%), almost three quarters of employees (74%) agreed with this statement. Those with disabilities are less likely to agree (59%).
• The proportion of employees (7%) who say they have been a victim of discrimination on the job in the last year is unchanged since 2020 and 2019. Among those who experienced discrimination:
  • Age, national or ethnic origin and race are the most common reasons given for the discrimination.
  • Discrimination is most likely to originate from a senior manager* (41%) or co-workers (25%).
  • A proportion of almost six in ten (59%) of those who have experienced discrimination on the job say they knew where to go for assistance. While a third (35%) said they took no action, those who did most often discussed the matter with their immediate supervisor or a senior manager.
• The proportion of employees (16%) who say they have been a victim of micro-aggressions on the job in the past year has seen a slight increase since 2020 (15%). Among those who have experienced micro-aggressions:
  • Most are likely to say the source of micro-aggressions were co-workers (34%) or a senior manager (29%).
  • Two thirds (66%) knew where to go for assistance, which is consistent with 2020 (61%). While a third (35%) said they took no action to address the micro-aggression(s) experienced, those who did most often discussed the matter with their immediate supervisor or a senior manager (20%).
• This year, the question about harassment on the job in the past year was revised to include “and/or violence.” Four percent of employees said they have experienced harassment or violence on the job, similar to 2020 (5%). Among employees who said yes to this question:
  • Most say the source of harassment/violence was a senior manager* or co-workers. Experiences included being excluded or ignored, as well as unfair treatment.
  • The majority knew where to go for assistance. While one third took no action, those who did most often discussed the matter with their immediate supervisor or a senior manager.
• About one quarter (24%) of OSFI employees use some type of FWA which is consistent with 2020. A flexible work schedule continues to be the most often mentioned arrangement.
  • Among those who do not use FWA, a lack of interest is the main reason given (44%). In 2020 this was also the top reason, mentioned by six in ten (62%).
  • Those who chose ‘other’ as an option were likely to mention not knowing about FWA/how it works, or not feeling they currently need it.

Comment Analysis - Wellbeing

A total of 49 open-ended comments involved Wellbeing.

• Several comments pertain to the perceived negative impact of the hybrid work model and mandated time in office. Those who favor working from home bring up the benefit of continued work/life balance (i.e., having more time with their families and less time spent commuting, and report having higher productivity and better mental health overall).
• Flexibility is an important matter for employees and their work-life balance. While some disagree with the hybrid model in its entirety, others want flexibility in choosing which days to come into the office and a model that does not mandate a specific number of days, or a proportion of time spent in the office.
• Capacity issues, workload, and increasing pace of change are notable pain points for employees who shared comments this year. Many mention feeling overworked and under pressure. Senior Management spending time to gather input from employees may help employees feel better understood.
• Attitudes of Senior leadership seem to play a part in employees’ wellbeing and ‘setting the tone.’ Some comments reference feeling bullied or noticing senior leaders behaving poorly in meetings. This has a stressful impact on the realities of employees who are ‘on the ground.’
• The focus on DEI was noted by several employees, who generally appreciate the intention behind DEI related initiatives.
• Some feel that DEI initiatives do not always seem to be completely thought out and are often inaccessible to the individuals they are intended to benefit.
• Another area of concern is that the intended effect of DEI initiatives is being undermined by Senior leadership’s lack of regard for the mental health of those who manage, as well as those who are managed. Examples of actions that undermine wellbeing include leaders exhibiting problematic behaviour, increased pressure and workload on staff, and making rushed decisions before gathering input from employees.
• For some, issues in the leadership at OSFI contribute to a general culture of distrust that is felt by employees. For those who feel this, the organization seems more authoritative and less collaborative than it used to be, affecting overall culture and individual employees’ wellbeing.

Experience with Discrimination

Experience with Micro-Aggressions

Experience with Harassment and/or Violence

Comment Analysis - Discrimination/ Micro-aggressions/ Harassment and Violence

“Please tell us if there was anything specific that held you back from taking action to address the discrimination/micro-aggressions/harassment/violence you experienced.”

A total of 36 responses. The main reasons for not taking action are:

• Fear of reprisal.
• Uncertainty that anything beneficial would come out of it.
• Feeling as if those they would report to are also those who have a bias against them.
• Not feeling they can count on their senior management to act.
• Fear of impact on others’ perceptions of them.
• Fear of being disbelieved.
• Wishing to avoid any animosity with the aggressor.
• Coped with it or brushed it off as ignorance/lack of awareness about their culture, disability, etc.

Appendix A: Respondent Profile

Appendix B: Email invitation

Subject: 2022-23 Biennial OSFI Employee Survey / Sondage biennal auprès des employés du BSIF – Édition 2022-2023

Dear Employee,

Environics has been commissioned by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to conduct its 2022-23 Biennial Employee Survey.

This survey is designed to gather the feedback of OSFI employees about various aspects of their working environment.

Your participation is voluntary and any responses provided will be kept strictly confidential. OSFI, through Environics, will be collecting and using your personal survey responses for the purposes of operational planning and to guide decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior Management (REX-08 and above). Aggregated survey results may be disclosed to OSFI’s Executive Committee and Senior Management to assess and address specific organizational matters in a use consistent with subsection 8(2) Privacy Act.

The survey will take about 20 minutes of your time and you can complete it at your convenience. You are able to leave and re-enter the survey re-commencing at the place in the questionnaire where you last left off.

Please complete the survey by February 22.

Results of the survey will be shared with OSFI employees in the spring.

To begin the survey, click on the link below. If the link does not work please copy the URL into your browser.

<Link>

Note: This link is unique to your email address, therefore please DO NOT FORWARD this message or your link to anyone else.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact me at Stephanie.Coulter@environics.ca. All contacts will be held in confidence.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Stephanie Coulter
Senior Research Associate
Environics Research

Appendix C: Email Reminders

Subject: Reminder: 2022-23 Biennial OSFI Employee Survey / Rappel : Sondage biennal auprès des employés du BSIF – Édition 2022-2023

Dear Employee,

On January 23, you received an email from Environics, the firm commissioned by OSFI to conduct the 2022-23 Biennial Employee Survey.

Your input is important. This survey is designed to gather the feedback of OSFI employees about various aspects of their working environment.

Your participation is voluntary and any responses provided will be kept strictly confidential. OSFI, through Environics, will be collecting and using your personal survey responses for the purposes of operational planning and to guide decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior Management (REX-08 and above). Aggregated survey results may be disclosed to OSFI’s Executive Committee and Senior Management to assess and address specific organizational matters in a use consistent with subsection 8(2) Privacy Act.

The survey will take about 20 minutes of your time and you can complete it at your convenience. You are able to leave and re-enter the survey re-commencing at the place in the questionnaire where you last left off.

This is a reminder to please complete the survey by February 22.

Results of the survey will be shared with OSFI employees in the spring.

To begin the survey, click on the link below. If the link does not work, please copy the URL directly into your browser.

<Link>

Note: This link is unique to your email address, therefore please DO NOT FORWARD this message or your link to anyone else.

If you have any questions about the survey, or experience any technical issues during its completion, please contact me at Stephanie.Coulter@environics.ca. All contacts will be held in confidence.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Stephanie Coulter
Senior Research Associate
Environics Research

Subject: Last Chance: 2022-23 Biennial OSFI Employee Survey / Dernière chance: Sondage biennal auprès des employés du BSIF - Édition 2022-2023

Dear Employee,

On January 23, you received an email from Environics, the firm commissioned by OSFI to conduct the 2023 Employee Survey.

Your input is important. This survey is designed to gather the feedback of OSFI employees about various aspects of their working environment.

Your participation is voluntary and any responses provided will be kept strictly confidential. OSFI, through Environics, will be collecting and using your personal survey responses for the purposes of operational planning and to guide decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior Management (REX-08 and above). Aggregated survey results may be disclosed to OSFI’s Executive Committee and Senior Management to assess and address specific organizational matters in a use consistent with subsection 8(2) Privacy Act.

The survey will take about 20 minutes of your time and you can complete it at your convenience. You are able to leave and re-enter the survey re-commencing at the place in the questionnaire where you last left off.

This is a reminder to please complete the survey by February 22.

Results of the survey will be shared with OSFI employees in the spring.

To begin the survey, click on the link below. If the link does not work, please copy the URL directly into your browser.

<Link>

Note: This link is unique to your email address, therefore please DO NOT FORWARD this message or your link to anyone else.

If you have any questions about the survey, or experience any technical issues during its completion, please contact me at stephanie.coulter@environics.ca. All contacts will be held in confidence.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Stephanie Coulter
Senior Research Associate
Environics Research

Appendix D: Deadline Extension Email

Subject: DEADLINE EXTENDED: 2022-23 Biennial OSFI Employee Survey / DATE LIMITE REPORTÉE : Sondage biennal auprès des employés du BSIF - Édition 2022-2023

Dear Employee,

The deadline for the 2022-23 Biennial Employee Survey has been extended because your input is important. Please complete the survey by February 24.

This survey is designed to gather the feedback of OSFI employees about various aspects of their working environment.

Your participation is voluntary and any responses provided will be kept strictly confidential. OSFI, through Environics, will be collecting and using your personal survey responses for the purposes of operational planning and to guide decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior Management (REX-08 and above). Aggregated survey results may be disclosed to OSFI’s Executive Committee and Senior Management to assess and address specific organizational matters in a use consistent with subsection 8(2) Privacy Act.

The survey will take about 20 minutes of your time and you can complete it at your convenience. You are able to leave and re-enter the survey re-commencing at the place in the questionnaire where you last left off.

Results of the survey will be shared with OSFI employees in the spring.

To begin the survey, click on the link below. If the link does not work, please copy the URL directly into your browser.

<Link>

Note : This link is unique to your email address, therefore please DO NOT FORWARD this message or your link to anyone else.

If you have any questions about the survey, or experience any technical issues during its completion, please contact me at Stephanie.Coulter@environics.ca. All contacts will be held in confidence.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Stephanie Coulter
Senior Research Associate
Environics Research

Appendix E: Last Day Reminder

Subject: Last Chance: 2022-23 Biennial OSFI Employee Survey / Dernière chance: Sondage biennal auprès des employés du BSIF - Édition 2022-2023

Dear Employee,

The last day to complete the 2022-23 Biennial Employee Survey is tomorrow, February 24. Please complete the survey to have your say.

This survey is designed to gather the feedback of OSFI employees about various aspects of their working environment.

Your participation is voluntary and any responses provided will be kept strictly confidential. OSFI, through Environics, will be collecting and using your personal survey responses for the purposes of operational planning and to guide decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior Management (REX-08 and above). Aggregated survey results may be disclosed to OSFI’s Executive Committee and Senior Management to assess and address specific organizational matters in a use consistent with subsection 8(2) Privacy Act.

The survey will take about 20 minutes of your time.

Results of the survey will be shared with OSFI employees in the spring.

To begin the survey, click on the link below. If the link does not work, please copy the URL directly into your browser.

<Link>

Note : This link is unique to your email address, therefore please DO NOT FORWARD this message or your link to anyone else.

If you have any questions about the survey, or experience any technical issues during its completion, please contact me at Stephanie.Coulter@environics.ca. All contacts will be held in confidence.

Thank you for your participation.

Stephanie Coulter
Senior Research Associate
Environics Research

Appendix F: Survey Instrument - English

Welcome to the 2022-23 Biennial OSFI Employee Survey/Bienvenue au sondage biennal auprès des employés du BSIF - édition 2022-23

Please select your preferred language/Veuillez cocher la langue de votre choix:

• English
• French

Your views are important!

This survey is designed to gather the feedback of OSFI employees about various aspects of their working environment. The Executive Committee at OSFI wants to know what is going well and what improvements can be made and is committed to acting on your input and ideas.

Please note that the link within the email invitation you received is unique to you; please do not share your link with others.

Participation in this survey is voluntary, however, the value of this survey relies entirely on the candid participation of employees like yourself.

The deadline to complete the survey is February 22.

OSFI, through Environics, is collecting and using your survey responses for the purposes of operational planning and to guide decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior Management (REX-08 and above). As such, aggregated survey results may be disclosed to OSFI’s Executive Committee and Senior Management to assess and address specific organizational matters in a use consistent with subsection 8(2) Privacy Act.

Your privacy will be respected. The collection of survey information is done in accordance with s. 13 of the OSFI Act. Any personal information collected will only be used and disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the federal Privacy Act. In accordance with the Privacy Act, you have the right of access to and protection of your individual responses and the right to file a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding the handling of this information.

Additionally, in accordance with industry and government research standards, Environics WILL NOT divulge individual survey responses to anyone at OSFI and, at no time will OSFI have access to responses in such a manner that an OSFI employee could be identified; only summary reports of aggregate data and verbatim comments rolled up at the OSFI level will be provided. Please click here (insert LINK) to view the Environics privacy statement.

How to complete the survey

Your participation in this survey is voluntary and will take about 20 minutes of your time.

You can complete the survey all at once, or you may do it in sections, as your answers will be saved and you will be brought to your last screen when you return.

All questions have a "Don't know / Not applicable" response option. Please select this option if you feel you do not have enough information to answer the question, or if you feel the question does not apply to your situation.

Use the navigation buttons found at the bottom of your screen to move ahead or back in the survey. Using your browser's "Back" button may result in your responses not being saved.

How to contact us

If you have any questions on how to complete the survey or about the survey content (i.e., its purpose, timing, reasons for specific questions), please contact Stephanie Coulter at stephanie.coulter@environics.ca.

Executive Committee

OSFI’s Executive Committee includes the Superintendent, Chief Actuary, Deputy Superintendent of Supervision, as well as Assistant Superintendents of Corporate Services and Transformation Sector, Policy, Innovation and Stakeholder Affairs Sector, and Strategy, Risk and Governance Sector.

Senior Management

OSFI's Senior Management includes all of the following: Executive Directors, Senior Directors, Managing Directors, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Transformation Officer (CTO), Chief Audit Executive (CAE), and Chief Data Officer (CDO), (e.g., REX-08 – REX-10).

Immediate Supervisor

Your immediate supervisor is the person whom you report to directly.

Q9. What level is the person to whom you report to directly (i.e., your immediate supervisor)?

• RE-07 or below
• REX-07
• REX-08 or above

Q10. How long have you been under the supervision of your current immediate supervisor?

• Less than 6 months
• Over 6 months

Communication

The Executive Committee includes the Superintendent, Chief Actuary, Deputy Superintendent of Supervision, as well as Assistant Superintendents of Corporate Services and Transformation Sector, Policy, Innovation and Stakeholder Affairs Sector, and Strategy, Risk and Governance Sector.

The sectors/groups within OSFI are Supervision Sector, Corporate Services and Transformation Sector, Policy, Innovation and Stakeholder Affairs Sector, Strategy, Risk and Governance Sector, the Office of the Superintendent (including Internal Audit), and the Office of the Chief Actuary.

Official Languages

Q21. In which city is your designated OSFI office located?

• Montreal
• Ottawa
• Toronto
• Vancouver
• Prefer not to say

Immediate supervisor is the person whom you report to directly.

Training

Q26. How often are you able to attend training opportunities that are available at OSFI?

• Regularly
• Occasionally
• Rarely
• Never
• Not applicable

Q26B (IF Q26 = Any response other than regularly or not applicable)
Which of the following barriers apply to your inability to attend training at OSFI (select all that apply):

• Workload
• Manager’s approval not received
• Relevant training is not available
• Training in a relevant/appropriate format not available (e.g., online or in-person)
• Other, please specify
• Don’t know
• Prefer not to say

My job/Career

Support comes in many forms and can be given in words or actions. Support includes tools, resources and support from management.

Q35B (IF Q35 = Somewhat or Strongly Agree)
Which of the following apply to you looking for a job outside of OSFI (select all that apply):

• Time for a change
• Seeking a different experience
• Dissatisfied with relationship with immediate supervisor
• Lack of employee recognition
• Compensation and benefits
• OSFI’s culture/workplace
• No growth opportunities
• Job not meeting expectations
• Feeling overworked
• Feeling disengaged
• Feeling undervalued
• Poor leadership at senior levels
• Other, please specify:
• Prefer not to say

Direct reports

Q36. Do you currently have any employees who report to you directly (i.e., direct reports)?

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

In this survey, employees are defined as people employed directly by OSFI, regardless of level or position within the organization, e.g., indeterminate, term and part time. It does not include short-term staff such as casual employees, co-op and summer students, and contracted staff such as consultants.

Q36B. (IF Q36 = Yes)
I receive the support I need to address unsatisfactory performance issues.

• Yes
• No
• Not applicable

Q36C. (IF Q36 = Yes)
I have access to resources to support employees on my team who are experiencing personal challenges.

• Yes
• No
• Not applicable

Wellbeing

Bringing our whole self to work is premised on a workplace where employees can be themselves and not feel they have to check part of who they are “at the door”. Employees feel they can express themselves freely, show up authentically, lead with humility, ask for help, connect with others in a genuine way, and allow themselves to be truly seen if this is their wish.

Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional wellbeing. Wellbeing is when an individual realizes their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.

A diverse workplace includes everyone, regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or family status, religion, age, language, cultural background, interests, views or other dimensions. It encompasses all the differences between colleagues’ personal and professional identities.

Systemic barriers are defined as systems, policies or practices that result in some individuals from equity-seeking groups receiving unequal access to or being excluded from participation in employment, services or programs. These barriers are systemic in nature, meaning that they result from institutional level practices, policies, traditions and/or values that may be “unintended” or “unseen” but that have serious and long-lasting impacts on the lives of those affected (e.g., on their career trajectories).

Q46B. [IF Q46=Strongly or Somewhat Agree] Which of the following barriers have you observed or experienced at OSFI in the past year? (select all that apply)

• Attitudinal (behaviours, perceptions, and assumptions that discriminate against persons with disabilities)
• Physical (buildings or outdoor spaces that create barriers to persons with disabilities)
• Informational (when sensory disabilities, such as hearing, seeing, or learning disabilities, have not been considered)
• Technological (when a device or technological platform is not accessible and cannot be used with an assistive device)
• Organizational (policies, procedures, or practices that prevent individuals from participating fully in a situation)

Q47. Have you been the victim of discrimination on the job in the past year?

• Yes
• No

Discrimination means treating someone differently or unfairly because of a personal characteristic or distinction, which, whether intentional or not, has an effect that imposes disadvantages not imposed on others or that withholds or limits access that is given to others. There are 13 prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act: race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability, or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered.

Q47B. [If Q47 =Yes]
Did you experience discrimination because of your: (select all that apply)

• Race
• National or ethnic origin
• Colour
• Religion
• Age
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity or expression
• Marital status
• Family status
• Genetic characteristics
• Disability
• Pardoned conviction or suspended record
• Prefer not to say

Q47C. [if Q47=Yes]
From whom did you experience discrimination on the job? (select all that apply)

• Co-workers
• My immediate supervisor (The person whom you report to directly)
• My Director (REX-07)
• Senior manager [This includes all Managing Directors, Senior Directors and Executive Directors (e.g., REX-08 – REX-10)]
• Executive Committee member
• My direct reports
• Individuals from other departments or agencies
• Individuals from the institutions that we regulate
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Q47D. [if Q47=Yes]
What action(s) did you take to address the discrimination you experienced? (select all that apply)

• Discussed the matter with my immediate supervisor or a senior manager
• Discussed the matter with my director
• Discussed the matter with the person(s) from whom I experienced the discrimination
• Contacted a human resource professional
• Discussed the matter with my union representative
• Used an informal conflict resolution process
• Filed a grievance
• Filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Resolved the matter informally on my own
• Other, please specify
• I took no action
• Prefer not to say

Q47D.i. [If “I took no action” selected in Q47D]

Please tell us if there was anything specific that held you back from taking action to address the discrimination you experienced:

• Prefer not to say

Q47E. [if Q47=Yes]
Did you know where to go for assistance?

• Yes
• No

Q48. Have you been the victim of micro-aggressions on the job in the past year?

• Yes
• No

Micro-aggressions are everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.

Q48B. [if Q48=Yes]
From whom did you experience micro-aggressions on the job? (select all that apply)

• Co-workers
• My immediate supervisor (The person whom you report to directly)
• My Director (REX-07)
• Senior manager [This includes all Managing Directors, Senior Directors and Executive Directors (e.g., REX-08 – REX-10)]
• Executive Committee member
• My direct reports
• Individuals from other departments or agencies
• Individuals from the institutions that we regulate
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Q48C. [if Q48=Yes]
What action(s) did you take to address the micro-aggressions you experienced? (select all that apply)

• Discussed the matter with my immediate supervisor or a senior manager
• Discussed the matter with my director
• Discussed the matter with the person(s) from whom I experienced the micro-aggression(s)
• Contacted a human resources professional
• Discussed the matter with my union representative
• Used an informal conflict resolution process
• Filed a grievance/complaint
• Resolved the matter informally on my own
• Other, please specify
• I took no action
• Prefer not to say

Q48C.i. [If “I took no action” selected in Q48C]

Please tell us if there was anything specific that held you back from taking action to address the micro-aggressions you experienced:

• Prefer not to say

Q48D. [if Q48=Yes]
Did you know where to go for assistance?

• Yes
• No

Q49. Have you been the victim of harassment and/or violence on the job in the past year?

• Yes
• No

As per OSFI’s Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy, work place harassment and violence means any action, conduct or comment, including of a sexual nature, that can reasonably be expected to cause offence, humiliation or other physical or psychological injury or illness to an employee, including any prescribed action, conduct or comment.

Q49B. [If Q49 =Yes]
From whom did you experience harassment and/or violence on the job? (select all that apply)

• Co-workers
• My immediate supervisor (The person whom you report to directly)
• My Director (REX-07)
• Senior manager [This includes all Managing Directors, Senior Directors and Executive Directors (e.g., REX-08 – REX-10)]
• Executive Committee member
• My direct reports
• Individuals from other departments or agencies
• Individuals from the institutions that we regulate
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Q49C. [If Q49 =Yes]
Please indicate the nature of the harassment and/or violence you experienced. (select all that apply)

• Aggressive behaviour
• Excessive control
• Being excluded or being ignored
• Humiliation
• Interference with work or withholding resources
• Offensive remark
• Personal attack
• Physical violence
• Sexual comment or gesture
• Threat
• Unfair treatment
• Yelling or shouting
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Q49D. [If Q49 =Yes]
What action did you take to address the harassment and/or violence? (select all that apply)

• Discussed the matter with my immediate supervisor or a senior manager
• Discussed the matter with my director
• Discussed the matter with the person(s) from whom I experienced the harassment
• Contacted a human resources professional
• Contacted the Designated Recipient
• Discussed the matter with my union representative
• Used an informal conflict resolution process
• Filed a grievance
• Filed a notice of occurrence
• Filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Resolved the matter informally on my own
• Other, please specify
• I took no action
• Prefer not to say

Q49D.i. [If “I took no action” selected in Q49D]

Please tell us if there was anything specific that held you back from taking action to address the harassment you experienced:

• Prefer not to say

Q49E. [if Q49=Yes]
Did you know where to go for assistance?

• Yes
• No

Comments

Q50. Do you wish to provide feedback to the Executive Committee about any of the topics that have been addressed in this survey?

Privacy Notice

OSFI, through Environics, is collecting and using your personal survey responses for the purposes of operational planning and to guide decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior Management (REX-08 and above). The collection of survey information is done in accordance with s. 13 of the OSFI Act. Any personal information collected will only be used and disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the federal Privacy Act.

Participation in this survey is voluntary. By participating in the survey, you are providing explicit consent for OSFI to access, use and disclose your comments and responses for the purpose of planning, management and administration, including investigative and research/statistical purposes.

Your privacy will be respected and your responses will be kept strictly confidential. Comments will only be provided to the Executive Committee as a roll up at the OSFI level.

• I hereby acknowledge that, I have read and understood the Privacy Notice

  • Yes, I wish to add comments for the Executive Committee to review

  • No, I do not wish to add comments for the Executive Committee to review

Q50B. [if Q50=Yes]
Comments will be provided as a roll up at the OSFI level and providedfor review by the Executive Committee only. Names will be redacted by Environics and HR before the comments are shared. A thematic, aggregated summary analysis of comments received will also be prepared and made available to all OSFI employees as part of the overall survey results.

Please be as specific as possible however do not include any personal or confidential information, particularly as it relates to matters that are best addressed through appropriate HR mechanisms.

Comment box for comments

Q50C. [if Q50=Yes]
Which of the following area(s) are your comments related to (select all that apply):

• Executive Committee
• Senior management
• My immediate supervisor
• Communication
• Official languages
• Training
• My job/Career
• Wellbeing
• Other, please specify:

General information

OSFI is committed to creating an environment that expressly values the individual, where employees feel safe, involved, connected, and able to bring their whole self to work.

The following questions are for survey analysis purposes only and will help OSFI better understand the perceptions of employees so that we can continue our work toward a workplace that is diverse and more inclusive. Any personal information collected will only be used and disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the federal Privacy Act.

We guarantee that this information will be kept completely confidential. Results will be reported by Environics in subgroups of no less than 10 completed surveys across any demographic factor. Responses from smaller groups will be combined with another group to protect the anonymity of respondents, or rolled-up at the Sector level, as applicable.

Thank you for completing these important questions.

Q51. What is your gender:

• Man
• Woman
• Another gender (optional to specify):
• Prefer not to say

Race is a term used to classify people into groups based principally on physical traits such as skin colour. Racial categories are not based on science or biology but on differences society has created, with significant consequences for people’s lives. Racial categories may vary over time and place and can overlap with ethnic, cultural or religious groupings. (The definition of Race is from the Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism (2019) produced by the Government of Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate.)

Q52. Which racial group do you identify with? (select all that apply)

• Black
• East / Southeast Asian
• Latino / Latina / Latinx
• Middle Eastern
• South Asian
• White
• Another racial group (optional to specify):
• Prefer not to say

Ethnic groups refer to a person’s ethnic or cultural origins. Ethnic groups have a common identity, heritage ancestry, or historical past, often with identifiable cultural, linguistic, and/or religious characteristics. (The definition of Ethnic Groups is from the Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism (2019) produced by the Government of Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate.)

Q52B. Which ethnic origins do you identify with? (select all that apply)

• Eastern Africa (e.g., Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda)
• Northern Africa (e.g., Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco)
• Western Africa (e.g., Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria)
• Southern Africa (e.g., South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini)
• Middle Africa (e.g., Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Central America (e.g., Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua)
• South America (e.g., Brazil, Chile, Peru)
• Central Asia (e.g., Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)
• Eastern Asia (e.g., China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea)
• Southern Asia (e.g., India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
• South-eastern Asia (e.g., Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia)
• Western Asia (e.g., Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates)
• Caribbean (e.g., Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica)
• Eastern Europe (e.g., Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine)
• Northern Europe (e.g., Denmark, Estonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
• Southern Europe (e.g., Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain)
• Western Europe (e.g., Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland)
• Oceania (e.g., Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia)
• Another ethnic origin (optional to specify):
• I don’t know
• Prefer not to say

An Indigenous Person is a North American Indian or a member of a First Nation, a Métis or Inuk (Inuit). North American Indians or members of a First Nation include status, treaty or registered Indians, as well as non-status and non-registered Indians.

Q53. Do you identify as an Indigenous Person?

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Q53B. [if Q53 = Yes]
If you wish to provide further details, please specify the group(s) to which you belong: (select all that apply)

• North American Indian/First Nations
• Métis
• Inuk (Inuit)
• Prefer not to say

A person with a disability is a person with any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, sensory, learning or communication impairment, or a functional limitation, whether apparent or not, and permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, that hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society when they face a barrier.

A barrier refers to a physical, structural, technological, socioeconomic or cultural obstruction, or one that is related to information, communications, attitudes or mindsets, that hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.

Q54. Are you a person with a disability?
For the purposes of this questionnaire, please only identify disabilities that have lasted or are expected to last 6 months or more.

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Q54B. [if Q54 = Yes]
Please indicate the nature of your disability: (select all that apply)

• A seeing disability - affects vision, including total blindness, partial sight and visual distortion
• A hearing disability - affects ability to hear, including being hard of hearing, deafness or acoustic distortion
• A speech disability - affects ability to talk, including total speech loss, partial speech and speech distortion.
• A mobility issue - affects ability to move your body, including the required use of a wheelchair or a cane, or other issues impacting your mobility
• Challenges with flexibility or dexterity - affect ability to move joints or perform motor tasks, especially with your hands
• A mental health disability - affects psychology or behaviour, such as anxiety, depression or social / compulsive disorder or phobia or psychiatric illness
• A sensory or environmental disability - affects sensitivity to light, sounds or other distractions, as well as allergens and other environmental sensitivities
• A chronic health condition or pain - affects ability to function on a regular or episodic basis due to migraines, Crohn’s disease, colitis, and other disabilities or health conditions
• A cognitive disability affects ability to carry out tasks involving executive functioning, such as planning and organization, learning information, communication and memory, including autism or Asperger’s syndrome, attention deficit disorder, and learning disabilities
• An intellectual disability affects ability to learn and to adapt behaviour to different situations
• Other disability (including: developmental disabilities and all other types of disabilities), please specify:
• Prefer not to say

The collection of information relating to the representation of employees belonging to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community will contribute to the Government of Canada's work to improve equality for this community. Through the promotion of human rights and the development of inclusive policies and programs, OSFI continues its work toward a workplace that is diverse and more inclusive.

Q55. Do you identify as 2SLGBTQIA+?

Responses to this question will not be used for obligations under the Employment Equity Act, as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual) are not formally identified as designated groups in the Act. OSFI is committed to equal participation of these groups in the workforce and is requesting this data to better understand representation in the workforce.

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

Q 55B. [if Q55 = Yes]
If you wish to provide further details, please specify how you self-identify. (select all that apply)

• Two-spirit
• Lesbian
• Gay
• Bisexual
• Transgender
• Queer
• Questioning
• Intersex
• Asexual
• Another identity (optional to specify):
• Prefer not to say

Q56. What is your age group?

• 24 years and under
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 years and over
• Prefer not to say

Q57. Do you currently use any of the following flexible working arrangements (FWA)? (select all that apply)

NOTE: While “telework” constitutes a flexible work arrangement under OSFI’s Guidelines on flexible work arrangements and special leave, this option is now an integral part of OSFI’s hybrid work model and is used, if not by all, then by a majority of employees. As such, it has not been included on the list.

• Compressed Work Week
• Flexible Work Schedule (variable start and end times)
• Part-time Employment
• Banked Time
• Job Sharing
• Leave with Income Averaging
• Self-funded Leave
• Pre-retirement Transition Leave
• I do not use FWA
• Prefer not to say

Q57B. [if Q57 = I do not use FWA]
I do not use FWA because:

• I am not interested in any FWA
• I do not feel that it would be supported
• My request for an FWA was denied
• Other, please specify:
• Prefer not to say

Q58. How long have you worked at OSFI?

• Less than 2 years
• Between 2 to 15 years
• More than 15 years
• Prefer not to say

Q59. Are you:

• RE
• REX
• Prefer not to say

Q60. What is your Sector/group?

• Superintendent's Office and Internal Audit
• Supervision Sector
• Policy, Innovation and Stakeholder Affairs Sector
• Strategy, Risk and Governance Sector
• Corporate Services and Transformation Sector
• Office of the Chief Actuary
• Prefer not to say

Q61. In which organizational work unit are you currently working?

Again, we guarantee that this information will be kept completely confidential. Results will be reported in subgroups of no less than 10 completed surveys per work unit. Responses from smaller work units will be combined with another work unit to protect the anonymity of respondents, or rolled-up at the Sector level, as applicable.

• Prefer not to say

Superintendent’ Office and Internal Audit

• 100 - Superintendent's Office
• 200 - Assistant Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer
• 333 - Assistant Superintendent, Policy, Innovation and Stakeholder Affairs
• 401 - Deputy Superintendent, Supervision
• 560 - Assistant Superintendent and CSRO
• 650 - Internal Audit

Supervision Sector

• 334/482 - Capital and Liquidity Standards Division/ Credit Risk Division
• 402/493/494/600 - Supervision Quality Assurance/ Supervision Institute/ Supervisory Framework/ Supervision Methods, Standards, and Controls
• 417/445/475 - Mortgage Insurance Group/ Insurance/ Private Pension Plans Division
• 422/424/426/478 - Capital Assessment/ Capital Management/ Supervision Data and Analytical Insights/ Risk Advisory Hub
• 425/468/479 - Reactive Monitoring On-site Group – Pensions/ Risk Assessment and Intervention Hub/ Reactive Monitoring Onsite Group
• 427 - International Banking
• 428 - Domestic Banking
• 466 - Supervision Central Office
• 486/508 - Model Risk Division (MRD)/ Market & Liquidity Risk Division (MLRD)
• 503 - Actuarial Division

Policy, Innovation and Stakeholder Affairs Sector

• 280/315/319 - CESA/ Communications & Engagement/ Stakeholder Affairs
• 311 - Approvals
• 312 - Prudential Policy and Strategic Liaison
• 320/321/351 - Regulatory Affairs Division/ Legislative Policy, Interpretations and Compliance/ Private Pension Plan Policy
• 350 - Climate Risk Hub
• 352 - Digital Innovation and Impact Hub
• 353/505/530 - Central Office PISA/ Accounting Policy/ Non-Financial Risk Group (NFRG)
• 507 - Operational Risk Division
• 511 - Culture & Compliance Risk Division
• 531 - Technology Risk Division (TRD)

Strategy, Risk and Governance Sector

• 240/561/565/566/567 - Strategic Governance Office/ Enterprise Risk Management/ Strategy and Governance, Senior Director/ Corporate Planning/ Central Office, SRG
• 550 - Risk & Data Analytics (RDA)
• 540/562/563/564 - Horizon Risk Surveillance/ Risk Quantification/ Applied Risk Research and Analytics/ Industry Surveillance

Corporate Services and Transformation Sector

• 204/206/208 - Chief Information Officer/ IM/IT Strategic Management/ Client Relationship Management
• 210/260/261/262 - Chief Financial Officer/ Transformation Office/ Enterprise Change Management/ Central Office, CST
• 211 - Finance
• 212 - Infrastructure and Technology Services Division
• 214/219 - Enterprise Information Management/ Cyber Security
• 217 - Application Services
• 230/231/253 - Chief Human Resources Officer/ HR Planning, Programs, Systems and Analytics/ Culture, Inclusion and Development
• 250 - Organizational Design and Staffing Solutions
• 251 - Workplace Effectiveness
• 252 - Security and Facilities Services
• 313 - Legal Services Division

Office of the Chief Actuary

• 700/710/720 - Chief Actuary/ Social Insurance Programs/ Public Pensions

Please take a moment and decide if you wish to revisit your answers before proceeding to the next screen.

Once you move to the next screen and complete the survey you will not be able to change your answers.

Thank you for taking our survey. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!

Appendix G: Survey Instrument - French

Appendix H: Full Set of Tabulated Data

The full set of tabulated data is submitted in a separate document.