Air Canada has announced additional 'Official Languages' initiatives that it says will strengthen and reinforce its commitment to bilingualism.
The moves come following an outcry last fall when CEO Michael Rousseau said in a speech that he had managed to live in Montreal for 14 years without speaking French. He later apologized to a parliamentary committee, stating: "I admit that I made a mistake by not learning to speak French when I joined Air Canada and I am correcting that mistake at this point."
Two Executive Vice-Presidents, supported by the senior management team, have been mandated to continuously review and improve Air Canada's Official Languages practices. The airlines says the new initiatives were shared with all employees last week and have been well received.
"As we take a continuous improvement approach in our business culture, we are implementing additional initiatives to further strengthen our commitment to Official Languages in our corporate culture. We thank our employees for sharing their input as their feedback was instrumental and contributed to these new developments," said Arielle Meloul-Weschler, EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs.
"As a Canadian company deeply committed to our country's identity, we know we can always do more and do better. Canada's Official Languages are more than just a legal obligation, they align with our business goals and are an integral component of our service to customers, as well as part of our distinctive global brand."
Here are the initiatives Air Canada is taking:
-- Air Canada's new Official Languages Branch will have responsibility for implementing Air Canada's Linguistic Action Plan and reporting progress to executive management on a quarterly basis.
-- AC will invest in increasing its language classes and enhance course offerings to enable employees to continuously improve their language skills. Starting this summer, the airline will be launching new training modules to all frontline and management employees to continue fostering the values of Official Languages and inform them of all tools available.
-- The company is elevating bilingualism in its internal employee excellence recognition programs. The airline will also implement a special incentive to employees who recommend bilingual candidates who are subsequently hired.
"These initiatives, supported by the entire executive team, are in addition to the great efforts already made in our commercial strategy to better coordinate our initiatives in Francophone markets," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice-President, and Chief Commercial Office at Air Canada.
"Air Canada is committed and determined to continue to support and reinforce Official Languages in its corporate culture. More than an obligation, it is a promise to our employees, our customers, and the public - all of whom have high expectations of us, and we are acting on this promise."
AC stakes a claim as Canada's largest private sector company offering bilingual services across the country.
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