LifeLabs recognized by Forbes as one of Canada's Best Employers for Diversity in 2022

Toronto, Ontario, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeLabs has been named one of Canada's Best Employers for Diversity in 2022 by Forbes.

This prestigious award was presented by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The Best Employer's for Diversity list recognizes Canadian companies that have demonstrated a significant commitment to a defined strategy to foster and promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in their workplace culture, recruitment practices and employee education and training. LifeLabs was listed as #46 out of 150 Canadian companies.

Recipients were selected based on the assessments of approximately 10,000 professionals working for companies employing at least 500 people in their Canadian operations were surveyed to identify Canada's Best Employers for Diversity. The following four criteria were taken into consideration: 

• Direct recommendations: Employees were asked to give their opinions on a series of statements regarding Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Disability, LGBTQA+ & General Diversity in their current workplace. The recommendations of women, elders, and racially & ethnically diverse individuals were weighted higher than the dominant group.
• Indirect Recommendations: Participants were also given the chance to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stand out either positively or negatively with regard to diversity.
• Diversity Among Top Executives/Board and Diversity Engagement Indicators were also part of the evaluation.

"To be recognized by Canadians, our employees and peers as an organization that promotes a culture of awareness, respect, and integrity, and that is actively working toward achieving equity, both in our workplaces and the larger communities we serve, is a great honour," shared LifeLabs President and CEO, Charles Brown.

"While we have made considerable progress on our journey to be a DEI-informed organization, we know that, through our Stronger Together program, we can and will do more to further our commitment to building an inclusive workplace and healthcare environment for Canadians."

LifeLabs' continued investment in a comprehensive DE&I strategy has brought forth valuable programs, initiatives, and leadership that continue to make meaningful impacts and facilitate future development and innovation in this area:

• The Stronger Together program has taken significant steps to ensure that equity-deserving individuals can thrive at LifeLabs, and bring their true selves to work, through building systems of support and feedback for team members (such as our Diversity Meter Survey), educational resources and learning opportunities for our leaders and employees, as well as countless events, policies and practices to promote greater inclusivity, awareness and respect, and embrace the diversity of our teams and communities.
• LifeLabs' Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Steering Council continues to develop and advance our DE&I strategy and provide guidance and support to leaders across the organization to strengthen our diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
• Employee Resource Groups, which actively represent a number of equity-deserving demographic groups within LifeLabs, and lend their skills, expertise and lived experiences to creating spaces that enable community building, education and development, and identify career advancement opportunities for those who are under-represented in the workforce. In 2021, our Employee Resource Groups worked to support social activities and virtual events that recognized and celebrated significant dates and holidays, including: National Indigenous History Month, Pride, Jewish High Holy Days, Orange Shirt Day, Women's History Month, Diwali, International Pronouns Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and International Day of Persons with Disabilities. 

In partnership with leading DE&I organizations, such as the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, as well as Pride at Work, LifeLabs has invested in educational resources and events on DE&I topics for our employees. These resources, such as our Gender Diversity Education modules, will provide our employees with the knowledge, language, and skills to truly embody our values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In keeping with our mission to invest in equity-building initiatives both inside our organization and within our larger communities, LifeLabs has also partnered with Indspire to establish a bursary program to promote educational opportunities in the healthcare sector for Indigenous youth. As Canada's largest community laboratory, we want to lead the way in creating an environment that is accessible and equitable for all employees and customers alike. We recognize and appreciate the diverse experiences of our teams, and the value that brings to building an inclusive environment for our customers. More information about LifeLabs' DE&I initiatives can be found at: https://www.lifelabs.com/about-us/diversity-equity-inclusion/. To learn more about this award and to see the complete list of recipients, please visit the Forbes website.

About LifeLabs

LifeLabs is Canada's leading provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity systems, enabling patients and health care practitioners to diagnose, treat, monitor, and prevent disease. We support 20 million patient visits annually and conduct over 100 million laboratory tests through leading edge technologies and our 6,500 talented and dedicated employees. We are a committed innovator in supporting Canadians to live healthier lives, operating Canada's first commercial genetics lab, and the country's largest online patient portal, with more than 5 million Canadians receiving their results online. LifeLabs has been named one of Canada's Best Employers (2021 and 2022) and Best Employers for Diversity (2022) by Forbes, and recognized for having an award-winning Mental Health Program from Benefits Canada. LifeLabs is 100% Canadian owned by OMERS Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment manager of one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans. Learn more at lifelabs.com.