Item - 2026.TTH5.1

The People, Culture and Governance Committee received this item for information.

Matt Hopkins, Executive Director - People, delivered a presentation on this item.

The TTC recently concluded its first organization-wide Employee Engagement Survey since 2016, with a 67% participation rate (11,314 employees). Among the respondents, 62% of unionized and 81% of non-union employees took part. The response rate offers valuable insights into the current climate, perspectives, and demographic composition of the TTC workforce.

Overall, the survey reveals that TTC employees feel a strong sense of pride in their work and are generally willing to recommend TTC as a workplace. However, the results also highlight areas for improvement, particularly around psychological safety, feeling valued at work, visibility of leadership, and trust that employee feedback will drive meaningful action. These findings present clear opportunities for targeted organizational growth.

This survey marks significant progress in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at TTC. Six in ten respondents identified as part of a racialized group, closely reflecting Toronto’s diverse population (60% versus 56% reported in the 2021 Census). The workforce includes 33% Asian, 29% White, 15% Black, and smaller proportions identifying as Latin American, Middle Eastern/North African, Indigenous, or mixed identities.

Representation of women continues to rise, now standing at roughly one in five respondents, a proportion that has steadily increased due to TTC’s targeted recruitment efforts. Over the last four years, both women and racialized groups have seen greater representation, demonstrating the effectiveness of TTC’s diversity initiatives and a workforce that increasingly mirrors the city we serve.

TTC’s achievements show a commitment to diversity and culture. However, survey results also highlight the need for improvement: only half of employees feel valued or trust that action will be taken because of the survey, and psychological safety remains low. These results stress that inclusion and respect are as important as representation. Closing these gaps is a core part of TTC’s Anti-Racism Strategy and follows the Auditor General’s call to action for TTC to collect feedback, analyze it, and act on issues affecting retention.

This report summarizes the survey's key findings, with emphasis on demographic participation and response differences analyzed by employee group (union vs. non-union). This report further outlines how the results align with TTC’s equity and corporate plan priorities.