June 6, 2025
Member survey conducted on diversity, inclusion and belonging
The Landscape Ontario Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) Committee recently conducted an online survey to gain insights about what members may want to learn in regards to diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace.
The anonymous survey ran March 5 to April 15 to provide the DIB Committee with feedback on future events, workshops and resources that would be most helpful to LO members and landscape business owners.
The survey was completed by 72 individuals. Of these, 58 per cent were business owners/employers, 23 per cent were a supervisor/team lead/foreperson and about 14 per cent were employees.
Many respondents expressed interest in all suggested learning topics, suggesting a broad appetite for growth and awareness. One person shared, “Within my company, I feel safe, but I fear I’ve been mistreated by many other landscapers. It would be good to have mandatory DEI training.”
Those interested in learning more stated webinars (36 per cent) as their ideal method, with downloadable resources (23 per cent) and in-person workshops (18 per cent).
Several respondents mentioned incidents of gender bias. Examples included being called “sweetheart” or “darling” on the job site, and assumptions that women lacked technical knowledge.
Some respondents reported experiencing racism that impacted their access to information or resources. Others described feeling excluded or misunderstood due to cultural or language differences.
A few participants noted barriers linked to invisible disabilities or mental health challenges, such as being passed over for promotions or training. One respondent reflected on the lack of understanding around neurodiversity in the workplace and expressed a desire for training to help managers better support neurodiverse employees.
Additional comments described experiences with ageism, elitism and appearance-based discrimination. One person mentioned hearing homophobic slurs at a networking event.
Some respondents expressed concern that diversity initiatives may be perceived as superficial if not backed by meaningful action. One suggested that workplace standards and shared expectations for behaviour could help foster inclusion.
Some survey participants voiced skepticism about the need for formal DEI programming. One respondent emphasized hiring based on "character, morals and merit" and preferred to keep personal matters out of the workplace.
The DIB Committee appreciated all of the insights shared by respondents and will use the feedback to shape future initiatives. There is no single approach that will suit all members, but the goal is to provide interested business owners, employees, contractors and students within the LO community with relevant support they need to learn and flourish.
The full analysis of the survey, including graphs and individual comments can be found online at gfl.me/hbTi.
FULL SURVEY ANALYSIS
The anonymous survey ran March 5 to April 15 to provide the DIB Committee with feedback on future events, workshops and resources that would be most helpful to LO members and landscape business owners.
The survey was completed by 72 individuals. Of these, 58 per cent were business owners/employers, 23 per cent were a supervisor/team lead/foreperson and about 14 per cent were employees.
Many respondents expressed interest in all suggested learning topics, suggesting a broad appetite for growth and awareness. One person shared, “Within my company, I feel safe, but I fear I’ve been mistreated by many other landscapers. It would be good to have mandatory DEI training.”
Those interested in learning more stated webinars (36 per cent) as their ideal method, with downloadable resources (23 per cent) and in-person workshops (18 per cent).
Several respondents mentioned incidents of gender bias. Examples included being called “sweetheart” or “darling” on the job site, and assumptions that women lacked technical knowledge.
Some respondents reported experiencing racism that impacted their access to information or resources. Others described feeling excluded or misunderstood due to cultural or language differences.
A few participants noted barriers linked to invisible disabilities or mental health challenges, such as being passed over for promotions or training. One respondent reflected on the lack of understanding around neurodiversity in the workplace and expressed a desire for training to help managers better support neurodiverse employees.
Additional comments described experiences with ageism, elitism and appearance-based discrimination. One person mentioned hearing homophobic slurs at a networking event.
Some respondents expressed concern that diversity initiatives may be perceived as superficial if not backed by meaningful action. One suggested that workplace standards and shared expectations for behaviour could help foster inclusion.
Some survey participants voiced skepticism about the need for formal DEI programming. One respondent emphasized hiring based on "character, morals and merit" and preferred to keep personal matters out of the workplace.
The DIB Committee appreciated all of the insights shared by respondents and will use the feedback to shape future initiatives. There is no single approach that will suit all members, but the goal is to provide interested business owners, employees, contractors and students within the LO community with relevant support they need to learn and flourish.
The full analysis of the survey, including graphs and individual comments can be found online at gfl.me/hbTi.
FULL SURVEY ANALYSIS