TORONTO, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Scotiabank today
announced it will offer coverage for enhanced gender affirmation
procedures for eligible employees and their dependents in
Canada and the United States. Effective June 1, 2021, the addition of gender affirmation
benefits to the Canadian and US plans will help fill the gaps in
coverage to better support trans people on their own personal
gender affirmation journey.
"We feel strongly that all of our employees, and their
dependents, should have access to benefits that allow them to be
their authentic selves in all aspects of their lives, including at
work," said Barb Mason, Group Head
and Chief Human Resources Officer. "We strive to be the employer
and Bank of choice for the diverse communities in which we serve,
and to do that we will keep focusing on constantly evolving our
employee offerings to be as inclusive and accessible as possible
while challenging norms and stigmas to advance inclusion for
trans and non-binary individuals in the workplace."
In June 2019, Scotiabank signed
onto the United Nations LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business,
with the aim to tackle discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bi,
Trans, & Intersex People. In consultations with both employees
and external parties, it was identified that benefits barriers
remain for trans people living and working in Canada and the
United States. One of these barriers is in the
identification of which transitioning procedures are considered
eligible for coverage and which would have been historically
defined as cosmetic. This new offering would build on standard
benefits to include coverage for procedures such as, but not
limited to, electrolysis, rhinoplasty, voice training/surgery, and
facial feminization/masculinization.
"Employers have an important role to play in advancing LGBTI
equality and inclusion. Policies like Scotiabank's are a necessary
step towards creating a more just and sustainable world that
benefits all people," said Salah Husseini, Associate Director at
BSR, which serves as the Secretariat for the Partnership for Global
LGBTI Equality (PGLE). "We have been pleased to partner with
Scotiabank, both through their work with BSR and their
participation in PGLE, on the development of policies and
approaches that foster diversity and promote respect for all
employees."
In support of the LGBT+ communities, a few examples of
Scotiabank's actions include:
- Medical benefits coverage to LGBT+ same sex partners of
employees in Canada, United States, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Mexico, Panama, Peru,
Uruguay, and, most recently,
Trinidad & Tobago.
- Updated its policy in Canada
relating to the reimbursements made under the Wellbeing Account to
include mental health-related expenses for any family members (not
just eligible dependents), in direct response to an employee
looking for coverage for her trans daughter's mental health
expenses.
- Trained over 19,000 Scotiabankers working in Canadian branches
and contact centers in gender identity and expression inclusion
training to build a more inclusive experience for all LGBT+
customers.
- Added gender-neutral and accessible washrooms in several
branches and Scotiabank head office spaces.
- Provided employees with the ability to share their pronouns
with the option to make them visible in our internal systems and
email signatures.
- Committed $500,000 to The 519 for
the development of a suite of programs designed to increase the
economic resiliency of LGBT+ newcomers and refugees which will
support 1,140 LGBT+ community members across Canada.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading bank in the
Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our
customers, their families and their communities achieve success
through a broad range of advice, products and services, including
personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private
banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets.
With a team of approximately 90,000 employees and assets of
approximately $1.2 trillion (as at
January 31, 2021), Scotiabank trades
on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit
http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter
@ScotiabankViews.
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SOURCE Scotiabank