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2014 Employment Equity Narrative Report HSBC Bank Canada

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The next best time is today” ~ Chinese Proverb

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Contents

1. General Overview ............................................................................................................................ 2

2. Quantitative Information ................................................................................................................... 3

2.1. Women ................................................................................................................................... 3

2.2. Visible Minorities ..................................................................................................................... 3

2.3. Persons with Disabilities .......................................................................................................... 3

2.4. Aboriginal Peoples .................................................................................................................. 4

3. Variance Explanations ..................................................................................................................... 5

4. Measures to Implement Employment Equity and Results Achieved ................................................. 7

4.1. Measures & Initiatives to Remove Barriers for Designated Groups ......................................... 8

4.1.1. Women ......................................................................................................................... 9

4.1.2. Visible Minorities ......................................................................................................... 10

4.1.3. Persons with Disabilities ............................................................................................. 10

4.1.4. Aboriginal Peoples ...................................................................................................... 11

4.2. Special Measures .................................................................................................................. 12

4.3. Positive Policies and Practices .............................................................................................. 12

4.3.1. Structure: HSBC Bank Canada Diversity & Inclusion .................................................. 13

4.3.2. Values & Behaviours .................................................................................................. 14

4.3.3. Learning ..................................................................................................................... 14

4.3.4. Work Environment ...................................................................................................... 15

4.3.5. Promotions, Retention and Terminations .................................................................... 15

4.3.6. Reasonable Accommodation ...................................................................................... 15

5. Constraints .................................................................................................................................... 16

6. Consultation ................................................................................................................................... 17

7. Description of Future Strategies Related to Employment Equity .................................................... 18

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1. General Overview

HSBC Bank Canada is a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc. The HSBC Group serves customers worldwide from

around 6,100 offices in 73 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East

and North Africa.

Throughout our history HSBC has been where the growth is, connecting customers to opportunities, enabling

businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, helping people fulfil their hopes and dreams and realize their

ambitions. HSBC Bank Canada has been serving Canadians for more than 30 years, and is the leading

international bank in Canada. Established in 1981 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, we have

grown organically and through strategic acquisitions to become an integrated financial services organization with

more than 150 offices across the country. We provide services through our three core lines of business: Retail

Banking and Wealth Management, Commercial Banking and Global Banking and Markets.

As of 31 December 2014, HSBC Bank Canada had over 6,000 employees in Canada, including 5,451 federally

regulated permanent employees.

Our values reflect our belief that leveraging diversity of thought, background and perspective enables us to become

a stronger organization. A strong team of hardworking and dedicated colleagues are guided by HSBC’s Values of

being Dependable and doing the right thing, Open to different ideas and cultures, and Connected with our

customers, communities, regulators and each other. We strive to implement a culture that is inclusive, positive and

performance-oriented. Having a diverse workforce allows us to benefit from a variety of perspectives and

strengthens our local and global competitiveness.

This report outlines information regarding our employment equity progress during the calendar year 2014.

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2. Quantitative Information

Our self-identification survey continues to be utilized for all new hires and is an important foundation in ensuring our

workforce data is accurate and reliable. We currently have a 95.82% return rate on the survey. As a result of our

continued commitment to self-identification, we have a stronger understanding of the make-up of our workforce. We

continue to follow-up with employees who have not yet completed the survey, and ensure they understand why we

collect such data and the importance of it in driving our Employment Equity, Diversity & Inclusion agenda.

2.1. Women

Women representation continues to be strong within the organization, with the overall representation of women at

56.5%, from 56.4% in 2013, which remains above our relevant labour pool of 53.4%. Overall, women made up

49.59% of all those promoted and 50.61% of those hired in 2014.

We continue to focus our efforts on increasing the representation of women in the organization at middle and senior

level roles, as the pipeline and representation in the other occupational groups continue to be strong. The discussion

forthcoming will focus on the more senior occupational groups in line with our focus.

54.5% of the Executive Committee positions are held by women, including the positions of Chief Operating Officer,

Head of Commercial Banking, Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management, Head of Human Resources, Head of

Communications & General Counsel.

Positions in our Senior Managers occupational group are defined as Senior Vice-President and above. There were

seven women in this occupational group on 31 December 2014, representing 31.8% of the base. The external

availability pool in this group is 24.2%. The representation of women in the Middle and Other Managers group

increased to 43.1% of the base, from 38.6% in 2013. In this group we are now above the external availability of

39.1%. The representation of women in the Professionals category decreased slightly to 42.5%, from 44.9% in 2013,

however we are still exceeding the external availability of 40.9%.

Our progress in advancing the representation of women in the organization at senior levels can be attributed to our

strategic focus and the sponsorship from the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Council. The D&I Council members discuss

progress in this area on a bi-monthly basis and implements appropriate measures to drive our strategy. New

objectives have also been established in each of our Executive Committee Member performance scorecards, to

drive accountability in meeting our Employment Equity Goals. In addition, our active Women’s Network (ERG) with

approximately 1,400 members continues to promote women’s leadership and development in the talent pipeline,

providing skills development and mentorship to women within the organization, while also providing a forum to

discuss and provide feedback on emerging needs. In line with our counterparts across the globe, the HSBC Group

continues to focus on the advancement of women in the organization.

2.2. Visible Minorities

HSBC Bank Canada continues to be successful in building a workforce that reflects the communities which we serve.

Visible minority groups continue to be well represented in all employment equity occupational groups, well above the

relevant labour pool. There is one small EE gap at the Senior Managers group, which continues to be monitored as

opportunities emerge. The overall representation of visible minorities in permanent positions at 31 December 2014

was 51.2%, from 51.7% in 2013, and continues to be significantly above our relevant external labour pool availability

of 24.3%. In 2014, visible minorities accounted for 55.99% of all promotions and 38.45% of all new hires.

2.3. Persons with Disabilities

In 2014, our overall representation of Persons with Disabilities decreased to 4.5% from 4.8% in 2013. We are in line

with the relevant labour pool of 4.5% and we continue to strive to meet our representation goal of 4.9%, in keeping

with our Employment Equity Plan. Promotions and hires also increased with self-identified persons with disabilities

attaining 2.58% of hires, and 4.44% of promotions in 2014.

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We continue to focus efforts to fostering an inclusive and accessible workplace for Persons with Disabilities. All

HSBC Bank Canada hires take mandatory training to enhance their understanding of accessibility and inclusion.

Along with Aboriginal Peoples, this designated group remains a key focus area in our Employment Equity Plan to

ensure recruitment, advancement and retention over the long-term.

2.4. Aboriginal Peoples

As of 31 December 2014, our representation of Aboriginal peoples in permanent full and part-time positions was

0.8%, an increase from 0.7% in 2013; however, still below our relevant labour pool of 1.5%. In 2014, 1.96% of new

hires were individuals that self-identified as Aboriginal peoples.

Candidate pipeline development of recent graduates at the junior levels continues to be a focus and the utilization of

our Diversity Internship Program has been a successful mechanism in bringing Aboriginal talent into the

organization in 2014. In 2014 we had a total of 8 Aboriginal interns go through this program, with 4 of them having

been successfully promoted to full-time permanent positions in 2014. Going into 2015 we intend on investing

additional resources into the management and operation of the program to further leverage this direct intake

program.

More information will be provided in the qualitative section of this report to outline what we are doing to close the

gaps in Aboriginal representation, including information on outreach, community partnerships, internal engagement

programs/initiatives and recruitment strategies.

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3. Variance Explanations

All Employees – By Gender, full-time and part-time

Our total permanent federally regulated workforce in Canada as at 31 December 2014 was 5,451, slightly higher

than the total population of 5,386 in 2013, representing a 1.2% increase.

We have reviewed standard variances in keeping with guidelines from Employment and Social Development

Canada, including comparisons of year-to-year variances between occupational groups, movement between full

time/part time employment status, NOC coding changes and self-identification survey changes.

Notable variances in 2014 include:

The significant variance of (-111) total part time employees includes 120 employees moving to permanent full-time from permanent part-time status.

The significant variance of (-60) male part-time employees includes 61 employees moving to permanent full-time from permanent part-time status.

The variance of (-51) female part-time employees includes 54 employees moving to permanent full-time from permanent part-time status.

Visible Minority Employees

There is a significant variance for visible minorities in both gender and employment groups. Full-time minorities

increased by 80 employees, and there was a decrease of 56 part-time employees resulting in an overall increase of

24 employees (0.9%).

Additional variances include:

The significant variance of (-33) male part time employees is largely attributable to 36 employees moving from permanent full-time to permanent part-time.

The significant variance of (-56) part time employees is largely attributable to 59 employees moving from permanent full-time to permanent part-time.

Aboriginal Employees

HSBC Bank Canada’s representation of Aboriginal peoples remained relatively unchanged with no significant

variances between 2013 and 2014. Qualitative measures regarding our efforts in the recruitment, development and

retention of Aboriginal peoples are further highlighted throughout this report.

Employees with Disabilities

HSBC Bank Canada’s representation of Persons with Disabilities remained relatively unchanged with no significant

variances between 2013 and 2014. It is worth noting however that there was a 0.8% increase in the total full-time

population, and 12.5% decrease in the total part-time population.

Employment Equity Occupational Groups (EEOG’s)

As a result of new National Occupational Codes (NOC’s), we conducted a full review of the classifications of all our

positions to ensure they were classified to the relevant Occupational Group. The results are summarized below for

all significant variances amongst all the Occupational Groups for both Full-time and Part-time employees.

Full-time:

(-20.8%) (-79) in the full-time Middle and Other Managers EEOG.

(-41.8%) (-41) in the full-time Semi-Professionals and Technicians EEOG.

(-37.2%) (-93) in the full-time Supervisors EEOG.

+138 employees in the full-time Skilled Sales and Service Personnel EEOG. This is a new EEOG in 2014.

+649 employees in the full-time Intermediate Sales and Service Personnel EEOG. This is a new EEOG in 2014.

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+85% (255) in the full-time Administrative and Senior Clerical Personnel EEOG.

Part-time:

(-88.4%) (-449) in the part-time Clerical personnel EEOG.

+334 employees in the part-time Intermediate Sales and Service Personnel occupational group.

Additional variances include:

There are 11 employees that moved to the federally regulated business from provincially regulated subsidiaries or other affiliates in 2014. All of them are regular full-time employees.

There are 20 employees that moved from the federally regulated business to provincially regulated subsidiaries in 2014.

There were 26 employees working outside of Canada on secondment at December 31, 2014.

Out of 290 employees on a long term leave of absence, 111 returned to work in 2014.

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4. Measures to Implement Employment Equity and Results Achieved

HSBC Bank Canada is committed to employment equity and diversity, and implements supportive policies and

practices on an ongoing basis to create diverse, equitable, accessible and inclusive work environments. We

recognize that our success has been built upon leveraging different working styles and skills across the globe, and

we are eager to support the unique contributions to our success that each of our customers and employees bring to

HSBC. We believe that the diversity of our people with different ideas, cultures and abilities is an essential ingredient

for the long-term success of our business.

Our financial support for a broad range of community initiatives, including employee volunteer activities are outlined

in the 2014 HSBC Bank Canada in the Community report. The report can be downloaded from the hsbc.ca website

at www.hsbc.ca/pas. Our sustainability program focuses on three areas: sustainable communities, sustainable

operations and sustainable finance. We contribute to community projects where we operate and thousands of

employees across the world get involved by volunteering their time and sharing their skills.

Some additional accomplishments of HSBC Bank Canada in 2014 include:

In 2014 HSBC was ranked by Corporate Knights as one of the 2014 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada.

HSBC Bank Canada winner of the 2014 SFU Nancy McKinstry Corporate Diversity Award for our forward-thinking policies, focus on gender advancement and leadership development.

Corporate Sustainability began providing support for two Indigenous education programs, one with Indspire and the other with Pathways to Education Canada.

We continued to offer the HSBC Women in Business Leadership Award at nine universities across Canada. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement and leadership potential.

We continued to support the Enactus Canada HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow Award and the HSBC Women’s Leadership Forum.

We continued to offer the LGBT Student Award at five universities across Canada. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic achievement, leadership and community service. Preference is given to LGBT students and students participating in LGBT organizations at the University and/or in the community at large.

Our Chief Operating Officer and Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council named one of Vancouver’s 50 most powerful women.

Presenting sponsor of ‘un-Conference’ by Canadian Institute for Diversity & Inclusion, attended by 90 HR and business leaders from Western Canada.

Led the PRIDE 2014 initiative for HSBC Globally based on World Pride coming to Toronto in 2014. This included several internal events, a building banner wrap of our downtown Toronto office, national communications strategies and the lighting of HSBC buildings in other markets across the globe with the PRIDE colours.

To deliver on our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive working environment in HSBC, we fully promote and support Employee Resources Groups (ERGs). ERGs are voluntary, company-endorsed employee groups dedicated to facilitating open discussion of workplace issues for employees representing various dimensions of diversity. Many activities, including networking, professional development, philanthropic initiatives and cultural events, are sponsored by HSBC’s ERG’s, and these activities may be internal or externally focused. The following ERGs were active in 2014:

Women’s Network.

Ability (formerly People with DisAbilities ERG).

Pride Network.

South Asian Network for Diversity and Inclusion (SANDI).

Asian and Pacific Islanders Committee (APIC).

Hispanic Latin Diversity Committee (HLDC).

Y-Knot Young Professionals Association (Y-Knot).

Indigenous Canadian Employee Resource Group (ICErg).

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The following section of this report highlights qualitative measures and initiatives implemented to remove barriers for

each designated group. These barriers are also explicitly outlined in our Employment Equity Plan.

4.1. Measures & Initiatives to Remove Barriers for Designated Groups

Our three year Employment Equity Plan holds management accountable for the recruitment and development of

designated group members. In 2014, new Employment Equity Performance Scorecard objectives were assigned to

Executive Committee (EXCO) leaders for each line of business and global function, specifically aimed at driving

accountability of senior leadership in addressing gaps in designated group representation. EXCO leaders continue

to be engaged when candidates from designated groups, particularly Persons with Disabilities and Aboriginal

peoples, apply to and are being considered for open positions. In addition, candidates through our Diversity

Internship program are assigned and work with an executive sponsor throughout their internship. When designated

group candidates are being considered for open positions, our recruitment partners also ensure hiring managers are

aware of our Employment Equity goals.

The Diversity & Inclusion Council promotes the understanding of business issues within the context of diversity

through leadership and education, and the council oversees the implementation of our five-year Diversity & Inclusion

Strategy, which aims to address workforce representation, cultural competency and marketplace presence. Our

primary areas of focus for 2014 and 2015 include: developing a pipeline of gender-balanced leadership talent,

increasing workforce representation of Indigenous Canadians, and improving workforce representation of persons

with disabilities within HSBC.

More information on the activities of the Diversity & Inclusion Council throughout 2014 will be provided in the

Consultation section of this report.

To improve communication and information sharing amongst our ERGs and their members, the Diversity & Inclusion

SharePoint site was refreshed, in the first quarter of 2014. The new site model, which is available to all employees,

fosters increased collaboration amongst our ERG’s, and provides a platform for sharing of information, knowledge

and effective team communication and allows ERGs to publish events on a shared calendar.

During the Employment Systems Review conducted in 2013 it was identified that communication skills may be a

barrier for career development. We continue to provide both classroom and web-based communication skills training

for employees.

In September 2013, HSBC outsourced its recruiting function to an external provider. An integral part of this new

relationship is a requirement to source robust pools of diverse candidates through proactive sourcing strategies.

Goals include establishing a pipeline of candidates to meet our diversity goals and two resources were assigned

with a 50/50 split between general recruiting and diversity hiring to allow for a more focused approach. A formal

strategy was delivered to the Diversity & Inclusion council which included plans to source diverse talent, build

relationships with external partners, enhance our internship program, and track employment equity recruitment

results. During 2014 our recruitment team has begun nurturing and investing in community organizations that will

provide a pipeline of diverse talent.

Our diversity recruitment activities in 2014 include:

Participation in the Diversity & Inclusion Global Summit.

Creation of Aboriginal Link Employer Page: www.AboriginalCareers.ca/HSBC.

Creation of Diversity & Inclusion Internship Program positions.

Outreach to scholarship program candidates for each designated group.

Establishment and/or solidifying of relationships with Avia Employment, OpenDoor Group, Neil Squires Society, Aboriginal Futures, NationTalk and the Canadian Hearing Society.

Continued to actively post job opportunities with diversity job boards and community organizations when and where possible.

Participated in the Out on Bay Street Career Fair in Toronto in September.

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As a result of our diversity recruitment activities, 49.59% of permanent full-time and part-time new hires in the

regulated part of the company in 2014 were women, 38.45% were members of visible minorities, 2.58% were

persons with disabilities and 1.96% were Aboriginal peoples.

In 2014 we delivered six (6) Leadership Development Symposiums to senior audiences. This one day Symposium:

Engage, Enrich, Empower, is a customized Canadian development program that addresses an opportunity to

enhance our middle management leadership capabilities through the concepts of Diversity & Inclusion. Key themes

of the symposium were driving open-mindedness, increasing awareness of unconscious biases, and how diversity

and inclusion can facilitate employee engagement and promote creativity and innovation. Over 800 managers have

gone through this training over the past two years. As a result of our success with this program in Canada it has

been introduced to several other markets within the HSBC Group, including Hong Kong, London, UK, and the US.

HSBC Bank Canada conducts post-secondary recruitment activities in partnership with universities across the

country. We aim to recruit diverse students and recent graduates who share in the core values of our business and

our proposition in the marketplace. For current post-secondary students, we offer a summer internship program

every year within various functions and our three global business lines – Retail Banking and Wealth Management,

Commercial Banking and Global Banking & Markets. The internships provide work experience and development

opportunities to post-secondary students interested in a career in banking and complements classroom learning. In

2014, two formal graduate development programs recruited trainees and analysts, and we recognize that diversity

recruitment at the junior levels is important for the long term success of our strategy. Each program is described

below along with their respective designated employment equity group recruitment statistics.

Commercial Banking Management Program: Designed to recruit top quality recent graduates and extensively develop them into high calibre, revenue generating, globally focused leaders in Commercial Banking. In 2014 20 trainees were hired, with 40% being women and 50% representing visible minorities.

Executive Management Program: A two year rotational program designed to provide high potential, recent graduates with the opportunity to gain experience in all HSBC Canada business areas through a fast-paced and challenging generalist program. Participants in this program in 2014 include 50% (4) women, and 75% (6) visible minorities.

4.1.1. Women

Our commitment to the recruitment, development and retention of women in the organization continued to be a

strategic focus in 2014.

In 2014 we partnered with the Minerva Foundation’s Women Leading the Way program to offer leadership training

for our employees.

The Women`s Network is a catalyst for our strategy, and has a vision to build an inclusive environment at HSBC

where women can go as far and as fast as their talent and aspirations will take them. Our Women`s Network

enhances the ability of HSBC to attract, develop, and retain the very best talent by supporting women`s professional

growth through networking, mentoring, skill development and community outreach opportunities.

The Women`s Network continued offering the Taking the Stage™ and Succeeding on Stage™ programs focused on

developing women leaders by expressing their ideas clearly in a variety of informal and formal situations including

presentations, meetings, etc. Twelve women were trained to be Taking the Stage™ facilitators and the 4 month

program was delivered to 125 mid-career women nationally during 2014. The course continued to be very well

received by its participants. Since inception, more than 50 facilitators have been trained by The Humphrey Group,

who have in turn, led more than 653 women through the Taking the Stage™ and Succeeding on Stage™ programs.

In addition to the two leadership development programs listed above, the HSBC Women`s Network delivers

activities and events throughout the year targeted at advancing the development of women within the firm. Events

are coordinated both regionally and nationally. National membership in the Women`s Network is approximately

1,400 women and men. The Women’s Network hosted several events in 2014, including a celebration of

International Women’s Day, a national event with a leader from Catalyst and many featured internal and external

guest speakers. The celebration for International Women’s Day featured a ‘Life Coach’ theme on empowerment to

over 800 employees in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. In addition, a senior executive from London, UK facilitated

a round-table with 40 ERG Chairs and emerging talent.

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The Diversity & Inclusion Council also approved in 2013 the development of a robust suite of leadership programs to

address workforce representation, development and retention of senior women and members of visible minorities. In

partnership with the Center for Talent and Innovation (CTI), Barnard College and the Corporate Leadership Center

(CLC), in 2014, 21 women from Canada representing all businesses and functions were nominated to attend one of

three available leadership development programs.

HSBC Bank Canada has established the HSBC Women in Business Leadership Awards at nine top universities

across Canada: University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Alberta, York University,

University of Toronto, Western University, Queen’s University, McGill University and Concordia University. The

Awards are granted to female students from each university based on academic achievement and leadership

potential, and each recipient receives $10,000 per year for the final two years of their degree. A total of 34 women

will receive funds over the course of the program.

HSBC also supports the HSBC Woman Leader of Tomorrow Award through Enactus Canada. Enactus Canada is

a community of student, academic and business leaders enabling progress through entrepreneurial action. Guided

by academic advisors and business experts, the student leaders of Enactus Canada create and implement

community empowerment projects and business ventures in communities coast to coast. HSBC’s program

recognizes, celebrates and honours female Enactus students from across the country that exemplifies success and

inspires their peers, community and country through entrepreneurial leadership.

Each year, 50 top female student leaders are selected by Enactus as finalists for the HSBC Woman Leader of

Tomorrow Award. From the top 50, six regional winners are chosen — two in Western Canada, two in Central

Canada and two in Atlantic Canada. At the Enactus National Exposition, one of the six regional winners is selected

as the National Recipient of the HSBC Women Leader of Tomorrow Award and receives a $2,500 grant for the

recipient’s Enactus team for a project focused on women.

4.1.2. Visible Minorities

The global nature of our organization and our efforts to mirror the diversity of our customers has helped us to build

many different dimensions of diversity in our workforce, including ethnicity, race and broad world experiences. This

in turn enables us to understand and respond to the differing needs of our customers and provide superior customer

service.

HSBC partnered with the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University to deliver "The Advanced Leadership

Program for Asian-American Executives" designed to accelerate the development of global business leadership

skills. Feedback from the four Canadian participants was excellent, and the action will be repeated in 2015.

As mentioned earlier in the report, our various ERGs support organizational diversity through formal networks and

development opportunities. Three of these ERG’s specifically focus on members of visible minority groups outside of

other designated groups, including the South Asian Network for Diversity & Inclusion (SANDI), Hispanic Latin

Diversity Committee (HLDC) and the Asian Pacific Islanders Committee (APIC). Many events and activities

collectively were delivered throughout 2014 which support their various memberships.

4.1.3. Persons with Disabilities

All measures in the three year Employment Equity Plan continue to be tracked and driven to ensure our intake and

retention of persons with disabilities continues to improve and eliminate any gaps in representation.

In 2014, we worked with the Open Door community group to continue to provide employment opportunities to

persons with disabilities.

We have continued to use the services of the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WIDHH) to

support interpreting services. These interpreting services are for both needs of individual employees and during

large meetings and national town-halls.

We continue to support our policy and Employee Guide on Workplace Accommodations. A central budget

continues to support onsite workplace assessments and accommodations. We continue our relationship with the

Canadian Council on Rehabilitation & Work and the Job Accommodation Service. In 2014, we supported workplace

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site assessments to meet emerging accommodation requests with customized recommendations for individual

employees, working co-operatively with the employee, their managers, Human Resources, Corporate Real Estate,

Purchasing and Technology services to make needed accommodations.

In 2014, our active Persons with DisAbilities (PwD) ERG formally rebranded to become the Ability ERG in concert

with similar groups throughout HSBC’s global network and launched a strategy to continue to improve employee

knowledge around disability, reduce the stigma to foster self-disclosure, increase participation in the ERG and focus

everyone’s attention on what matters – the Ability that each employee brings to the organization. By encouraging

open-mindedness, the ERG will positively influence inclusion and workforce representation.

Aside from membership, education and increasing workforce representation, the ERG has one other tangible

objective for the future that will involve its members – to be a forum of knowledge and information exchanges that:

Can provide insight to support bank projects that touch customers and/or employees.

Act as a bridge between employees and people with specialist knowledge on disabilities and accommodations.

Generates ideas on how we can improve the way we do business/interact with our internal and external customers.

4.1.4. Aboriginal Peoples

Our new Aboriginal Inclusion strategy was launched in the fourth quarter of 2013 and key priorities were delivered

throughout 2014 in line with this new strategy. The strategy includes four major pillars; Workplace Inclusion &

Culture, Aboriginal Community Engagement, Investment and Partnerships, Aboriginal Recruitment and

Representation, and Aboriginal Employee Retention & Advancement.

A foundation to this strategy was the design and launch of an Indigenous Canadian ERG – our eighth in Canada in

February 2014. In the first year over 70 employees joined the ERG, representing both Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal

employees. An objective of the ERG is to foster a work environment which is aware, inclusive and respectful of

Aboriginal employees and cultures. This includes providing learning opportunities and events for all HSBC

employees to increase their awareness of Aboriginal cultures, practices, beliefs, history as well as current affairs.

The ERG also facilitates dialogue, networking and professional development opportunities for membership, and

engages with the external Aboriginal community. Other activities of the ERG in 2014 include participation in an All-

ERG Summer Festival and an end-of-the-year celebration at Vancouver’s only local First Nations cuisine restaurant,

Salmon n’ Bannock.

2014 marked several “firsts” for HSBC Bank Canada – The Indigenous Canadian ERG held its first event; it was the

first time HSBC leaders and employees came together to celebrate National Aboriginal Day in June and at the same

time joined forces with two proven partners to provide support for educational programs for Aboriginal youth. This

consisted of $1million in new programs to be delivered by Indspire and Pathways to Education Canada.

Our partnership with Indspire provides scholarships to Aboriginal post-secondary students studying business at

universities and colleges across Canada. In 2014 we provided 23 students with $3,000 scholarships. Each of these

students were contacted and provided opportunities to learn more about careers at HSBC and current opportunities

available. We continue to look at our scholarship recipients as potential sources of future talent. Our partnership with

Pathways to Education established the Pathways HSBC Indigenous Educational Attainment Fund. This fund is

helping Indigenous youth in low income areas graduate from high school by supporting the delivery of the Pathways

program for 400 students in 2014 with plans to increase these numbers in 2015 and 2016. The program will work

alongside local school systems, providing after-school tutoring, mentoring and financial assistance to address the

barriers that can stand in the way of high school graduation.

HSBC Bank Canada continued to invest in developing employment opportunities for Persons with Disabilities and

Aboriginal People through our Diversity Internship Program. A portion of the positions in this program are allocated

specifically for Aboriginal candidates given our intentional EE goals. In 2014 we hired eight (8) Aboriginal interns

through this program and we continue to work on attracting, recruiting and placing additional qualified candidates in

the program. This has proven to be a successful mechanism in bringing in Aboriginal talent.

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In line with our commitment to Employment Equity and our Indigenous outreach initiatives, we are also working on

establishing a partnership with the Ch’nook Indigenous Business Education program at the University of British

Columbia.

As this employment equity group continues to be a strategic focus for HSBC, a mini Employment Systems Review

and focus group session was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2014 to gain a better understanding of their

respective experiences in the firm, their perspectives on barriers to employment for Aboriginal peoples, and to

gauge recommendations on how HSBC can improve our Internship Program for Aboriginal peoples. The focus

group was hosted by the executive sponsors of our Aboriginal Inclusion strategy, the Chief Financial Officer and

Chief Risk Officer and included newly joined Aboriginal employees and recent graduates, who provided valuable

feedback. We continue to implement ongoing improvements to our Aboriginal Inclusion strategies and initiatives.

In addition to the Indigenous Youth Education initiative described above, HSBC Bank Canada supports endowed

bursaries and scholarships for Aboriginal students at Capilano University, Douglas College, Vancouver Community

College, NorQuest College, Cape Breton University, and the University of Victoria in support of our objective to

support Aboriginal students in their studies and promote HSBC career opportunities.

4.2. Special Measures

After a comprehensive Employment Systems Review, in 2013 short-term actions to assist under-represented groups

were updated in our current three year Employment Equity Plan. This plan will be revised again in 2015 to reflect

changes in our workforce representation and employment equity objectives.

In addition to the commitments in our Employment Equity Plan, we continue to implement additional measures to

remove barriers to employment and advancement for Aboriginal employees. This remains a key focus area for us as

we look at our current under-representation of this group. These measures include expanded attraction and

outreach initiatives, partnerships with key community organizations and internal engagement initiatives to ensure

retention of newly recruited Aboriginal employees.

In 2014, Employment Equity Goals were incorporated in our Employee Referrals Policy and the program was

expanded to include referrals for our diversity internship.

The Hiring Basics web learning curriculum was updated in 2013 and launched in 2014. In 2015 we intend on

reviewing these courses to incorporate additional content on our Employment Equity goals and measures that hiring

managers can take to assist with driving our inclusion agenda. In addition, the Hiring Right the First Time instructor

led course has been added to the training calendar in 2014.

In our effort to eliminate gaps with completion rates on our self-identification survey, in 2014, a work team developed and implemented an automated follow-up notification process for new hires that do not complete the survey. We currently have a 95.82% return rate on the survey.

4.3. Positive Policies and Practices

HSBC Bank Canada continued to foster a corporate environment that values and promotes equity and inclusion.

New programs and ongoing initiatives as well as HSBC's commitment to diversity in general were profiled through a

variety of internal and external actions.

Many of the initiatives detailed in this document are communicated to HSBC employees through our company’s

employee website, executive presentations, town hall meetings and employee events. Our Narrative Report is

published on our employee website to keep our employees informed and on our public web site to better position

HSBC’s profile among designated groups.

In 2014, many positive policies and practices were implemented and maintained, including:

HSBC Bank Canada has a Returning to Work & Rehabilitation policy and a supporting team in Human Resources who consults to promote employer/worker collaboration for the successful return to work by injured employees or employees with disabilities who have been absent. Each case is managed by the Disability Specialist team and an Employee Relations Consultant who works with the employee to identify opportunities to facilitate the employee’s return to work.

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We continue to make Ergonet available on our internal learning system as one proactive measure to prevent injuries. This web based course and assessment supports employees in understanding how to improve their interaction with their work environment and reduce the risk of common work-related musculoskeletal disorders, (MSDs). The employee learns the risk factors involved in MSDs, what signs and symptoms to watch for, and how to correct problems by utilizing sound ergonomic practices in the office or remote work location. In 2014, 51 employees completed the training guide, and 74 employees completed the personal assessment.

Emergency back-up childcare for parents when their regular child care provider is not available was expanded in 2014 with new locations added by the supplier. Employees using the service included 69.57% women and 52.17% visible minorities.

HSBC’s Enhanced Leave Policy enables an employee who has worked for the company for at least three years to take a 6 to 12 month unpaid leave of absence with benefits protection. In 2014, five employees availed themselves of this policy, including three self-identified employees who are a member of a visible minority and three women.

HSBC Bank Canada’s leaders provide ongoing support and participate in initiatives organized by the ERGs and the Diversity and Inclusion office demonstrating their commitment to inclusion within the organization.

Established over a decade ago, HSBC continues to hold its employee annual Spring Dinners to celebrate Chinese New Year in Vancouver and Toronto. In 2014, co-organized by our ERGs, the two dinners attracted over 1,495 employees from all groups.

Our new employee human resources portal called HRDirect was created to enable employees to access people processes in a more user friendly way. Human Resources policies were reviewed as part of this project and as part of our Employment Systems Review that took place in 2013. Actions required to review and update policies are contained in the three year Employment Equity Plan. During the year, we continued to monitor, support and develop policies.

Formalized remote and mobile working. In 2014, 3741 employees have the capability to work remotely with secured technology access. This represents an increase of 641 employees or 20% since 2013. Of the 3741 employees with remote access, 48.6% are women, and self-identified through our EE survey, 0.56% Aboriginal peoples, 49.83% members of visible minorities, and 4.78% persons with disabilities. The policy continues to be an organizational wide benefit meeting individual and business needs.

HSBC continued to operate a global Employee Integrity TipLine which enables employees to escalate concerns or feedback, anonymously if they wish related to workplace policies or company ethics at any time in a variety of languages. This is a 24-hour service, available in multi languages.

HSBC Bank Canada continuously reviews and evolves its comprehensive policies supporting diversity and creating an equitable environment to ensure emerging employee or business issues are addressed. In 2014 alone we maintained a variety of policies that relate to a healthy workplace including, among others, the Personal Harassment policy and procedures, Employment Equity policy, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) policy, Health & Safety policy, Quiet Room policy, Employee Volunteer Leave policy, Disability Returning to Work policy, Disability Roles and Responsibilities policy, Long Term Disability policy, Maternity and Parental Leave policy, and Valuing Diversity & Inclusion policy.

4.3.1. Structure: HSBC Bank Canada Diversity & Inclusion

HSBC Bank Canada’s National Diversity & Inclusion Council remained very active throughout 2014 under the

leadership of our Chief Operating Officer. All new actions continue to be reviewed by the organization’s Senior

Executive Committee (EXCO).

The Diversity & Inclusion Council, comprised of senior business leaders and employees from various lines of

business and functions, meets every two months to discuss strategy, set action plans and helps ensure HSBC Bank

Canada is making progress in meeting its diversity goals. In 2014, the council met on five occasions to review

progress on the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and raise awareness regarding areas of opportunity related to

diversity in the workforce, culture and the marketplace.

We are currently in year four of a five year Diversity & Inclusion strategy which focuses on three foundational pillars;

1. Workforce Composition.

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2. Cultural Intelligence.

3. Marketplace Presence.

Our Diversity & Inclusion Council and network of advocates throughout the business promote collaboration amongst

our eight ERGs and they continued to deliver joint-events in 2014 to have greater impact across the organization.

The Head of Diversity & Inclusion works in partnership with executives, business leaders, key stakeholders, and

designated group members to further embed inclusion into the rhythm of our organization.

4.3.2. Values & Behaviours

HSBC is committed to recognizing and rewarding employees for exemplary values and behaviours. There are a

variety of formal and informal ways in which we recognize our employees’ dedication to diversity.

Values continue to be an integral component in how we rate our employees’ performance. Ratings are now based in

part on employees’ demonstration of HSBC values; variable pay can now be modified upward or downward based

on behavioural assessment of an employee’s adherence to these values. The talent assessment process, a

calibration of individuals' potential with the organization, now includes an assessment of the values and behaviours

they exhibit.

In 2014, HSBC redesigned its orientation program for new joiners – Discovery Global Induction (“Discovery”) –

which enables anyone new to our organization to experience a globally consistent introduction to the firm that will

quickly integrate them into HSBC and help everyone understand and manage the inherent risks in their role. The

program now encourages new joiners to explore how the strategy, purpose, values and priorities of HSBC can be

aligned to their own unique values and purpose, enabling them to make a meaningful connection with the

organization and become stewards of the integrity of the brand. A significant portion of this Discovery program is

focussed on our values, both as a firm and as a corporate citizen.

4.3.3. Learning

HSBC encourages all employees to continuously upgrade their skills and knowledge in order to keep pace with the

constant changes within the industry. We provide internal training programs and tuition reimbursement for relevant

undergraduate, graduate and CSI Global Education Inc. financial planning, investment funds and compliance

courses. We continue to update training and development programs provided to staff to meet ongoing business and

employee needs.

MyLearning, our Global Learning Management System, launched in 2011, provides a common system which HSBC

employees around the world can use to access learning solutions. Employees have access to information on a wide

variety of courses, learning paths, accreditations and other useful references on our internal learning system. Links

are readily available on Development Planning, Mandatory Training, Onboarding program, Talent Management, and

Performance Management courses.

New hires to HSBC Bank Canada must complete the “Diversity, Inclusion & You” course featuring interactive

modules and dramatized scenarios to train employees in recognizing, appreciating and utilizing the unique insights,

perspectives and backgrounds of others. The training also covers ways to avoid discrimination and disrespectful

behaviour, how to create an environment of inclusion and the business case for diversity. In 2014, 450 employees

and 49 managers completed these modules.

HSBC Bank Canada continues to support online training for remote and flexible work arrangements, and

accessibility. In 2014, 1047 employees completed these learning options.

All employees were required to complete the annual mandatory 2014 Workplace Violence Awareness program and

the annual mandatory Ethics course. New hires are required to complete the HSBC Bank Canada Accessibility for

Canadians training as well as a Personal Harassment Workbook and Employee Acknowledgement form.

To further advance inclusion in the culture of the organization, the Diversity & Inclusion Council approved a national

Unconscious Bias awareness program for all mid-managers with direct reports. Using an external facilitator,

managers across Canada went through a one-day symposium designed to open minds and bring awareness around

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the impact of our individual biases and human propensity to naturally carry stereotypes. As of December 31, 2014,

over 800 managers had experienced the program.

4.3.4. Work Environment

HSBC supports and encourages employees to balance work and personal aspirations in a variety of ways. We offer

flexible start and end times, weekly schedule options, part-time and job-share arrangements, mobile and home-

based work arrangements, or a combination of any of these choices.

4.3.5. Promotions, Retention and Terminations

Promotion, retention and termination rates and development opportunities continue to be monitored and driven in

the organization.

HSBC Bank Canada supports a North America Leadership Development Experience (LDE) program with objectives

to develop diverse talent in the leadership pipeline. Led by a learning specialist, the North America LDE is an eight

month experience with three leadership workshops. Examples of the support provided by the program include a 360

degree assessment of participants capabilities’ and career development plans, mentoring activities, team calls, one-

on-one coaching and a recurring career development review.

We continue to support an online matching tool called Mentor Scout, which has been available for all employees

since November 2011. Through Mentor Scout, an employee is able to complete a profile as a mentor, a mentee or

both and use the tool to be matched with someone based on their preferred criteria. Employees can voluntarily self-

identify as a member of a designated group, including the option to identify as being a member of more than one

group. HRDirect, a global service contains information on policies, benefits, human resources services and

resources on career development.

4.3.6. Reasonable Accommodation

HSBC is committed to providing a barrier-free workplace and equal employment opportunities for all individuals by

supporting reasonable accommodation. Our Workplace Accommodation Policy and Procedures supports our

commitment to ensuring the needs of applicants and employees from designated groups are accommodated. HSBC

supports workplace accommodation by providing helpful devices, human support, making adjustments to work

schedules, and / or redesigning employment systems to remove or reduce barriers.

A centralized budget continues to support on-site workplace assessments and accommodations to drive retention

and enhancement of employee productivity.

Managers and employees in HSBC Bank Canada can accommodate individual and business needs via alternate

work options to vary hours or schedules, gradually return to work after maternity or parental leave, work remotely or

take a leave of absence. The mobile and work from home program, called HSBC@Work, is actively encouraged

through support tools such as laptops and networking software and is complemented by office spaces designed for

flexibility. The variety of options for flexible work support diverse work/life needs, including needs for employees

with disabilities or employees experiencing health issues. In addition, our external Employee Assistance Program

(EAP) provider continues to support employees with information and confidential counselling on a variety of issues.

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5. Constraints

Self-Identification: We continue to use the online self-identification survey to monitor the diversity of our workforce.

In past years, survey completion has been a challenge. To address this constraint, as mentioned earlier in the report

under the Special Measures section, in 2014, a work team developed and implemented an automated follow-up

notification process for new hires that do not complete the survey. We currently have a 95.82% return rate on the

survey.

Attracting and recruiting designated group talent: Progress to date on our three year employment equity plan

has been strong in all employment equity designated groups, with the exception of Aboriginal peoples. We continue

to implement strategies to develop a pipeline of Aboriginal talent, including the building of relationships with key

external partners, such as Indspire, Ch’nook at UBC, The Aboriginal Human Resources Council, Dogwood 25,

Pathways to Education Canada and post-secondary institutions across Canada. We believe that through effective

relationship building, HSBC Bank Canada will continue to be promoted as an employer of choice for Aboriginal

talent. Additional measures as outlined throughout this report continue to be implemented going into 2015

specifically targeted at outreach and attraction.

Unconscious Biases: We continue to provide open-mindedness training to allow employees and managers the

opportunity to identify and understand their own biases and to equip our management with strategies to be more

open-minded and inclusive as they make hiring, promotion and termination decisions.

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6. Consultation

HSBC Bank Canada’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, chaired by the Chief Operating Officer, oversees our

Employment Equity plans to ensure our workforce is representative of changing demographics and is provided an

inclusive work environment. Members discuss strategy and action plans focused on critical issues, and helps ensure

HSBC is making progress to meeting its diversity and employment equity goals and we are delivering on our

strategy. Through strategic objectives to instil diversity, the council works to optimize diversity for our business

results by looking at things in new ways to identify effective solutions for both our customers and employees.

Our ERGs continued to implement their respective strategies and provide ongoing feedback on any employment

barriers as well as their members’ specific career needs. In 2014, consultations took place between the Pride

Network, the Indigenous Canadian ERG, the Women’s Network and the Ability ERG. Members from the Pride

Network were consulted with as we reviewed the gender-options within our self-identification survey. Members of

the Indigenous Canadian ERG were consulted as we developed and launched our Indigenous Inclusion strategy

and the accompanying four strategic pillars. The Women’s Network hosted several events throughout the year

including speaking engagements with senior women leaders who shared their perspectives on work-life balance,

their careers and advice for advancing in the organization. The Ability ERG continues to be consulted as we learn

best practices in accommodating persons with disabilities.

As a founding partner of the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion (CCDI), we continue to actively engage in

events and activities with D&I leaders from a range of industries for the purpose of sharing best-practices,

discussing current challenges and opportunities for partnership. The CCDI’s mission is to help their employer

partners and members achieve significant differences in their organizational performance by providing them with

tools, knowledge and information, and education to create more inclusive workplaces in Canada. In 2014 we were a

title sponsor of their annual Un-conference event.

There are a variety of mechanisms, both formal and informal within the organization for seeking feedback from all

employees, as they are key to the ongoing progress of our objectives. In 2014 our global program, HSBC Exchange

was maintained, with the objective to provide a forum for employees to discuss anything at all that is on their minds

related to HSBC. In 2014 there were in excess of 239 managers who conducted meetings with over 3,000

employees participating across all businesses and functions. The results of the discussions were submitted into a

global database. The HSBC Group CEO and Group Management Board review the collated feedback from

sessions around the world.

A formal communications strategy is being planned for 2015 to communicate to our employees our employment

equity progress and objectives.

Our Employment Equity Plan is being updated in 2015 to reflect the new National Occupational Groups, our

progress to date, and future strategies.

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7. Description of Future Strategies Related to Employment Equity

HSBC Bank Canada continues to build on our solid diversity foundation while reviewing employee, market,

organizational and governance needs. We strive to have a workforce that is truly representative of relevant labour

market availability and the diverse customers we serve around the world. Actions to enhance diversity and inclusion

will continue under the leadership of the Diversity Council, including ongoing consultations and feedback from ERGs.

Moving forward, future initiatives and key areas of focus include:

Implementation of three year Employment Equity Plan with focus on diversity strategies and outreach mechanisms to increase hiring and retention of Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.

Continued support of the development of diverse talent through career planning and mentoring initiatives.

Continued engagement of leaders in diversity and employment equity initiatives to support each line of business in developing its diverse talent.

Utilization of the Diversity Internship Program and existing training programs to recruit and leverage diverse talent.

Strengthening of relationships with community associations by working with the new outsourced recruitment team and our dedicated diversity recruiter to drive intake of diverse talent and eliminate gaps in diversity representation.

Continued relationship building with key partners in the Aboriginal community. We recognize that success in this area is a long-term commitment and the foundation of our strategy needs to be built upon strategic partnerships built on trust, dignity and respect.

Engagement with Aboriginal and persons with disabilities recruitment agencies and organizations to drive our diversity talent acquisition efforts.

Continue to consult with designated group members/organizations both inside and outside of our organization to ensure our strategies are sound and initiatives are successful.

In the fourth quarter of 2014 HSBC Group launched a Global Ethnicity Network, Embrace, comprised of all our

ethnically diverse ERGs. HSBC has always been culturally and ethnically diverse. Since our origins in Hong Kong

150 years ago, our workforce has grown and adapted to meet the needs of the business and its customers. To be

the world’s leading international bank, HSBC needs to have a workforce that reflects our customers and

communities we serve. Our new global ethnicity strategy and focus will help our employees understand cultural

differences to better serve our customers and create a more inclusive environment for colleagues, address barriers

to the inclusion of ethnic minorities in all locations, raise the visibility of role models from various ethnic backgrounds,

encourage self-identification to improve our demographic and diversity data and promote the Global Embrace

Network and increase its membership.

The Global Embrace Network helps HSBC attract, retain and engage a more ethnically and culturally diverse

workforce. The network of ERGs builds understanding of ethnicity bias, identifies role models, and supports

members’ career development. A formal communications strategy and implementation plan has been developed

and will be launched in 2015.

HSBC Bank Canada is committed to the principles of Employment Equity, and to ongoing implementation of

supportive policies and initiatives to create diverse and inclusive work environments. HSBC Bank Canada will

continue with the implementation of hiring and promotion goals until such time as the workforce becomes fully

representative, which HSBC anticipates will occur by 2020.

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© Copyright HSBC Bank Canada 2015

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any

means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of HSBC

Bank Canada.