Human Rights law is an area of law that deals with the protection of people from discrimination on the basis of a person’s age, race, sexual orientation, or on the basis of a mental or physical disability.
Human Rights in the Workplace
Human rights protections extend into your employment. In many wrongful dismissal or termination cases, an employer’s actions not only breach the employment contract, but also offend Human Rights legislation that exists to protect you from discrimination in the workplace.
Under the Vancouver Human Rights Act, an employer may not discriminate against an employee on the basis of
- place of origin
- religious beliefs
- physical disability
- mental disability
- marital status
- family status
- source of income
- sexual orientation
Example: You struggle with mental health problems or addictions that have caused you to miss work from time to time. After your employer becomes aware of your illness, your employment is terminated, even though you were an otherwise good employee. Although your employer cites a lack of sufficient work as the reason for your termination, you suspect that this is not the case. Your employer is likely in breach of Human Rights legislation, and you may be entitled to a variety of remedies.
If you think that your employer has discriminated against you, we are here to help you navigate the human rights process.