- About
- Commitments
- Sustainable Development Goals
- The Goals
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 3: Good health and well-being
- SDG 4: Quality education
- SDG 5: Gender equality
- SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation
- SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
- SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
- SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
- SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
- SDG 13: Climate action
- SDG 14: Life below water
- SDG 15: Life on land
- SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
- About
- The Goals
- SFU at COP
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Sustainability and Climate Plan
- Reports
- Get involved
- Contact
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
To support Sustainable Development Goal 8, Simon Fraser University is committed to fair and equitable economic growth and employment practices. SFU pays all staff and faculty the local living wage or above as set by the British Columbia provincial government.
The university measures and tracks pay scale gender equity, and has a policy on pay scale equity that includes a commitment to measure and eliminate gender pay gaps. SFU recognises unions and labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) for all, including women and international staff, and has a process for employees to appeal on employee rights and/or pay.
SFU’s employment policies include stipulations ending discrimination in the workplace, including that based on religion, sexuality, gender, age. Via adherence to the 2023 provincial Supply Chains Act, the university has a policy commitment against forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour in all its forms. Further, SFU is committed to guaranteeing equivalent rights of workers when outsourcing activities to third parties, upheld by provincial government programs.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at SFU
There are a number of university resources dedicated to keeping SFU staff, faculty and students safe, well and connected.
Demographic & Diversity Data Survey
SFU regularly conducts a demographic and diversity survey to gather data to meet its regulatory needs and institutional commitments, support equitable and accountable programs and service delivery and measure progress towards its institutional priorities. The inaugural SFU Demographic & Diversity Data survey ran from September-December 2024 and included core human rights and equity demographic questions from the most recent Canadian census, a supplemental section with additional SFU demographic questions and a third section with inclusion experience questions.
Research, Teaching and Learning
Facts and Figures
- 256 publications related to SDG 8, 2020-2024 (source: SciVal)
- 40 active research projects related to SDG 8 funded from 2020 - 2024
- Since the 2018/19 academic year, SFU has offered 6 courses relating to SDG 8, representing over 158 students
- At least 86 researchers involved in research relating to SDG 8 (source: SFU Research Expertise Engine)
Operations
Equivalent rights of workers if/when outsourcing activities to third parties
Statement on Sustainability (SOS)
SFU Procurement Services has developed a Statement on Sustainability which lays out the university’s expectation that its all suppliers, including third party, demonstrate transparency and honesty in all of their business relations, including those with their own suppliers and subcontractors. This document forms a part of SFU's services agreement with suppliers and guarantees that the equivalent rights for all workers stipulated in the SFU Ethical Procurement Policy (AD 11.21) are upheld when outsourcing activities to third parties. This is guided by:
- UN and ILO Conventions on human and labour rights and standards;
- Ethical standards of employment conditions as defined in the University's Guidelines and;
- Local laws: University Suppliers must comply, at a minimum, with all applicable legal requirements of the country in which products are manufactured. Where the University's Guidelines and the applicable laws of the country of manufacture conflict or differ, the higher standard shall prevail.
Before entering a relationship with the University, a third party supplier and/or licensee is responsible for reporting to SFU that they and their supply chain are operating workplaces in compliance with the above. Consistent with the laws of British Columbia, these compliance reports are treated as public documents.
BC Living Wages for Families
SFU continues to implement a living wage for employees who regularly work on its three campuses, whether they are employed directly by the university or by third-party contractors. These obligations are contractually defined and monitored as part of the sourcing and contracting of third-party service providers, and help to guarantee equivalent rights of workers when outsourcing activities.
The Living Wages for Families BC program ensures that all contractors’ employees, who regularly work on SFU properties, are paid an equivalent living wage. This living wage takes into account the total compensation package including wages and the value of non-mandatory benefits such as paid sick leave, vacation leave, education benefits and extended health and dental coverage. Consistent with those available to direct SFU employees, benefits of this program for employees of third party service providers include:
- tuition waiver program for eligible workers and their families
- access to recreation and fitness facilities, and library borrowing privileges
- priority access to on-site childcare at Burnaby campus through the SFU Childcare Society
Commitment to no forced labour, no modern slavery, no human trafficking, & no child labour
SFU Response to Supply Chains Act: Fighting Forced Labour & Child Labour
SFU is committed to protecting all people in its supply chain by respecting their human rights and calling on their suppliers to provide fair compensation and safe working conditions for all employees. The university has a commitment to zero-tolerance for forced labour, child labour, modern slavery and human trafficking in all forms and is taking measures to ensure that its supply chain is free of human exploitation in the harvesting, production, selling, transportation, and delivery of the goods and services it acquires.
Pursuant to section 11 (1) of the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act 2023 (Supply Chains Act), SFU submits a report for each financial year, setting out the steps it has taken to ensure that forced labour and child labour are not occurring in its business or supply chains. SFU has implemented several protocols and programs to increase diligence in sourcing and selecting suppliers such as:
- Supplier Code of Conduct – Statement of Sustainability (SFU)
- EcoVadis Supplier Assessment
- LSEG World-Check Supplier Screening
- Dun and Bradstreet Risk Analytics
Co-founded by SFU Professor Genevieve LeBaron and supported by the university, the Re:Structure Lab is working to end forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking on a global scale by reimagining the business dynamics that sustain it. The Lab has put forth a set of six Forced Labour Evidence Briefs that bring rigorous academic research to bear on illuminating crucial trends and patterns linked to labour exploitation such as modern slavery, child labour, and human trafficking. The briefs offer recommendations to address the root causes, tackling the problems from the ground up. The most recent phase of the Lab’s work is dedicated to strengthening links between research and public policy and equipping partners with evidence that business model and supply chain innovations are necessary tools to combat forced labour.
Recognizing Labour Rights for All
SFU Labour Relations and its collective bargaining mandate is governed by the Provincial Government through the Public Sector Employers’ Council Secretariat (PSEC) and by SFU’s Employment Equity Policy (GP 19) which recognizes collective bargaining and freedom of association for all employment equity groups such as women, international staff, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and other racialized people.
For all employee groups, Labour Relations strives to maintain harmonious working relationships and provides:
- Collective agreement and policy interpretation
- Collective bargaining
- Advice and guidance on the grievance procedure
- Support to investigations and arbitrations
News from the Field
SFU named among Canada's 2025 top employers
A unique campus environment, strong skills development training options and comprehensive benefits are among the reasons SFU has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2025. Celebrating its 25th year, Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual editorial competition that recognizes the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work, comparing employers across similar industries, region and size. Each employer is assessed by rigorous criteria in eight key areas including work atmosphere, employee communications and community involvement. SFU received the highest possible score in four categories: work environment, health & family-friendly benefits, vacation & personal time off and training & skills development.
SFU FairTrade is leading the charge for ethical campus consumption
FairTrade is an organization that ensures products are produced ethically and sustainably by supporting farmers and producers in developing countries through a set of FairTrade standards which guarantee fair wages and equitable revenue for products, despite global market fluctuations. SFU is Canada’s first and only Gold certified FairTrade campus. This certification signifies an active FairTrade Ambassador program for students, participation in international FairTrade conferences, and the availability of numerous FairTrade products on campus. SFU’s FairTrade program “has made [them] a leader for fair trade on campus and in the entire FairTrade movement in Canada,” says SFU FairTrade ambassador program coordinator, Kylee Pocrnich. The program’s purpose is to educate and raise awareness about fair trade, and participating students can choose how to achieve this through participating in one or multiple teams including events, research/survey, education, and social media.
Update On Special Programs Hiring At SFU
The Special Programs designation is one of many actions SFU is taking to remove barriers to employment access and extend opportunities to qualified candidates from equity-deserving groups who are historically and currently underrepresented. This aligns with the objectives outlined in SFU’s institutional priority to uphold Truth and Reconciliation, the Equity Compass and SFU’s commitment to Universities Canada’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Principles. Approval of this designation by the B.C. Office of the Human Rights Commissioner’s (BCOHRC) authorized the university to seek Black and Indigenous individuals to fill existing roles during the hiring process. Currently, coordinated efforts between the Equity Office, People Strategies and Faculty Relations teams have led to the development of Special Programs recruitment and hiring pathways. An implementation plan is in progress to support faculties and departments with recruitment, onboarding, training and mentorship of the identified groups to ensure they can thrive in their roles in alignment with the BCOHRC’s requirements.