Our people
Sustainability is a key driver of employee engagement.
We believe that by continuously reinforcing our commitment towards the health and safety of our employees, by providing a work environment that is inclusive and by embracing diversity, we can truly operate our business more successfully.
employees
women
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Governance and leadership
Defining quantifiable objectives to develop diversity and inclusion and ensure alignment with strategic priorities.
Learning and development
Empowering leaders and employees through engaging training on diversity and inclusion and best practice sharing.
HR policies and practices
Ensure HR practices and policies encourage a diversity and inclusion culture and reflect our diverse workforce.
Raising awareness and communication
Communicate proactively on diversity and inclusion and provide employees with forums to express themselves.
Community
Develop our diversity and inclusion committee and ambassadors and engage in community events and advocacy.
Creating a culture of inclusion and belonging
In 2023, VIA Rail also completed a self-identification survey to help better determine the level of representativity of our workforce and help offer programs and initiatives that truly meet the needs of employees. VIA Rail also supported the creation of six Employee Resource Groups formed by committed employees who share common interests. The groups represent their interests while supporting various organizational objectives.
Proactive safety culture
Protect from retaliation or discrimination
Provide reporting mechanisms that protect against retaliation when reporting hazards, unsafe conditions, near misses and incidents.
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Comply with laws and regulations
Comply with or exceed applicable health, safety laws and regulations.
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Reduce risks
Address, manage, and reduce occupational and railway health and safety risks.
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Maintain a health and safety management system
Maintain an efficient and effective health and safety management system with clearly defined objectives and targets, and a strong focus on continuous improvement.
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Consult and engage
Consult and engage our employees and employee representatives to share perspectives, work together and learn from each other through strong collaboration.
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Train our employees
Offrir des formations appropriées et ciblées afin de susciter l’engagement et la responsabilisation de tous les employés et représentants.
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Protect from retaliation or discrimination
Provide reporting mechanisms that protect against retaliation when reporting hazards, unsafe conditions, near misses and incidents.
Our safety management system
Our Safety Management System (SMS) provides the framework to implement our Health and Safety at Work Policy, and to deliver on our safety action plan. It includes the procedures, processes and responsibilities for safe railway operations in accordance with the SMS regulations under the Railway Safety Act put into effect by Transport Canada, the international ISO 45001 safety management standard, as well as industry best practices.
Our Environmental Management System for three of our maintenance centres follows ISO 14001 standard to ensure standard framework for tracking, evaluating and communicating.
