A Chinese community group is raising concerns about a government-funded booklet concerning the work ethic of Chinese employees, which was produced for small businesses in York Region.
The Chinese Cultural Guide for Employers is full of stereotypes, according to Karen Sun of Toronto's Chinese Canadian National Council.
"I think it's well intentioned, but I think it misses the mark, and I think it may do more harm than good. It seems to just perpetuate a lot of racial stereotypes," Sun told CBC News.
The Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce, which helped produce the 56-page guide, says it doesn't agree with Sun's characterization of the book.
"I wouldn't call it a stereotype, I would call it a generalization. But if you read the book, you'll understand it's not meant to hurt, it's meant to help, any of the generalizations are not negative," said CEO Leslie Walker.
Walker said 9,000 copies of the guidebook have been printed and sent to small businesses in Markham and Richmond Hill.
Some of the controversial statements in the book include:
During team discussions, a Chinese employee may remain quiet and have minimal input.
Completing tasks at work can take precedence over their personal interests.
Chinese employees frequently do not have firm handshakes.
Sun said that kind of stereotyping will have a detrimental effect.
"What happens when it comes to promoting people? If you see your Chinese workers as being subservient, then you may think it would be best to keep them in entry-level, administrative-type positions where you can order them around. Well, this is clearly problematic," she said.
Walker defends the book. "This is very basic, and it's to help that small employer understand that a different cultural group may interview differently and may need to be integrated into their workplace differently."
Another cultural guide for employers is in the works, this time about South Asian employees.
