SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Sustainable Development Goals

Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all

Our goals in action

Community impact

Partnering for a prosperous economy

Queen’s is Kingston’s top employer with 1 in 10 jobs in the city found at the university. Additionally, Queen’s has supported more than 700 startup companies and entrepreneurs, including 600 in Kingston. Our economic activity also makes up 11% of our community’s local GDP from Belleville to Brockville.

Employment pathways

Queen's Career Gateway Program creates employment pathways and on-the-job learning for opportunities at Queen's for vulnerable persons within the community, including refugees and individuals belonging to equity-deserving groups with limited English-language skills. Participants develop in-demand skills as casual members of the Custodial Support Services team, positioning them as possible candidates for future employment opportunities, and receive paid release time from work to attend language training.

Teaching and student life

Building experience

Queen’s offers a wide-range of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to build their work experience and develop industry ready skills from experiential learning to paid internships. In addition to faculty-specific initiatives, eligible students can take part in the Queen’s Undergraduate Internship Program (QUIP), Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP), and Work Study Program. Queen’s also works with our local partners to offer initiatives such as the Queen’s Career Apprenticeship: Kingston that helps new graduates jumpstart their careers while helping small businesses attract and retain highly skilled talent in Kingston.

In 2022, Queen's launched a series of modules as part of Ontario's eCampus Virtual Learning Strategy to integrate experiential learning programs across the university. The goal is to empower individuals, addressing barriers that underrepresented students may face when engaged in a work-integrated learning experience.

Administration and operations

Queen’s University was selected by Employment and Social Development Canada as a recipient of an Employment Equity Achievement Award in the category of Innovation for the Queen’s Equity Appointments Process (QEAP) Application.

Reflecting the Queen's mission, vision, and values

In 2023, Stephanie Simpson became the inaugural Vice-Principal (Culture, Equity, and Inclusion), with oversight of the Human Rights and Equity Office, the Office of the Ombudsperson, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, and the Complaints and Investigations Office. This new role better reflects and delivers on the Queen's mission, vision, and values, particularly our commitment to I-EDIAA as it is embedded in the Queen's Strategy.

Tracking and promoting employee diversity and inclusion

The Queen’s Equity Office measures and tracks our employment representation rates to better ensure gender parity, as well as pay scale equity, among our staff.

Going beyond fair pay

Total Compensation for Queen’s staff and faculty includes pay, benefits, pension, as well as a wide array of work/life wellness programs. The university strives to provide career enrichment as well as staff learning and development opportunities. Queen’s also publishes the salary grids and ranges that are used for salary administration and pay-related decisions as part of its efforts to promote pay equity and transparency.

Supporting job satisfaction and personal growth

Understanding that employees need coaching and regular feedback to succeed, Queen’s has implemented the Performance Dialogue Process (PDP) to allow staff at all levels to have regular opportunities for meaningful conversations with supervisors about their work and contributions.

Supporting job satisfaction and personal growth

Understanding that employees need coaching and regular feedback to succeed, Queen's has implemented the Performance Dialogue Process (PDP) to allow staff at all levels to have regular opportunities for meaningful conversations with supervisors about their work and contributions.

Respecting labour rights

Queen’s recognizes unions and labour rights, including freedom of association and collective bargaining for all. Our Human Resources website features a list of the University Unions and Associations and their corresponding collective agreements. The agreements set the terms of employment at Queen’s as well as conditions for salary negotiation and conflict resolution.

An equal and diverse workforce

Queen's recognizes and appreciates the value that diversity adds to its activities and initiatives. Through its Employment Equity Policy, the university acknowledges its responsibility to maintain an employment equity program that includes processes, plans, and procedures that address historic under-representation in the employment of marginalized groups. This includes women, members of visible minorities and racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity, and other such groups designated by legislation or otherwise.

An objective of Queen's new Global Engagement Strategic Plan is the creation of an employee resource group (ERG) for staff and faculty who identify as international and newcomers to Canada. In 2023, the Queen's Global Connect event served as a stepping stone towards the creation of the new ERG intended to build and strengthen community bonds and further nurture an inclusive, globally-minded campus environment.

Queen’s is committed to ending discrimination in the workplace, including discrimination based on religion, sexuality, gender, and age.

An impartial resource for promoting fairness

The Office of the University Ombudsperson is an independent, confidential and impartial support for the Queen’s community. It provides general advice to employees and students about their rights and responsibilities and helps ensure procedural fairness in decision-making.

Outlining our commitment to employment equity

The Human Rights and Equity Office at Queen’s University developed the Employment Equity Action Plan 2022-2023, outlining the university’s goals to increase equity in the areas of recruitment, retention, and professional development for the 2022-2023 academic year.