Essential Services vs. Essential Time Off: Building Culturally Safe Workplaces for Indigenous Employees in BC
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Coastal Research, Education, & Advocacy Network (CREAN) has been leading the Essential Services vs. Essential Time Off project to explore how workplaces across British Columbia can create culturally safe environments for Indigenous employees. This study sought to examine how workplaces could better accommodate Indigenous cultural time off for holidays, including ceremonies, grieving, seasonal duties, and community obligations, and how such accommodations (and/or lack thereof) impact the well-being, retention, and advancement of Indigenous employees. The project builds on a community forum held in Victoria, BC, in April 2024, which highlighted the pressing need for policy changes.
Current cultural-leave provisions in Canada remain scarce, fragmented, and inconsistent across provinces and industries, leaving many Indigenous workers without adequate protections. Rather than treating time off for ceremonies as a discretionary favour, organizations must recognize it as part of their responsibility to uphold Indigenous rights and self-determined governance.
Through interviews, focus groups, and surveys, CREAN found that while many organizations express support for reconciliation, Indigenous employees continue to experience inequities related to cultural leave, awareness, and representation. The research revealed that 69% of respondents want Indigenous cultural awareness training, 59% seek policy development guidance, and 54% call for Indigenous-led mentorship or consulting opportunities.
These findings highlight a clear need for flexible cultural leave policies, mandatory anti-racism and cultural safety training, and greater Indigenous leadership in workplace decision-making. The study also emphasizes the importance of building accountability frameworks and implementing Indigenous-led approaches to human resource practices.
Recommendations for Policy and Practice: This research demonstrates that cultural leave is not only feasible but necessary.
For Employers: Implementing robust cultural leave policies builds trust, strengthens employee engagement, and supports recruitment and retention of Indigenous staff. Clear reporting systems and Indigenous leadership in policy development are non-negotiable elements of cultural safety.
For Unions: Collective agreements can include cultural leave provisions and accountability mechanisms, ensuring that protections are enforceable.
For Funders: Funding bodies can set cultural safety requirements as conditions for investment, driving sector-wide adoption.
For Training Providers: Short, accessible training modules (e.g., micro-credentials for managers) can provide practical, ongoing learning instead of one-off workshops.
This project provides an evidence-based roadmap for organizations across BC seeking to advance reconciliation and foster truly inclusive and culturally safe workplaces for Indigenous employees.