Lawyers for Human Rights Complaints
Human rights legislation prohibits employers from implementing or adopting any practices or policies that discriminate against employees on certain protected grounds under the Human Rights Code.
Human rights issues can arise at the time of hire, during the employment relationship, or at the time of termination. The scope of what is considered a human rights issue is expanding day by day and staying current with the state of the law in this area can be challenging. It is important that employers are aware of their responsibilities to their employees, as human rights claims can be costly to address through the Human Rights Tribunal of British Columbia. As such employers are wise to avoid such claims if at all possible.
What Are Protected Grounds Under BC Human Rights Legislation?
Pursuant to the relevant legislation, the protected grounds of discrimination in British Columbia are:
- Race
- Colour
- Ancestry
- Place of Origin
- Political Belief
- Religion
- Marital Status
- Family Status
- Physical Disability
- Mental Disability
- Sex
- Sexual Orientation
- Age
- Source of income
Any discrimination an employee faces related to one of these protected grounds can give rise to a claim at the Human Rights Tribunal, whether an employee has been terminated or not.
Experienced Human Rights Lawyers
The lawyers at Taylor & Blair LLP can assist your organization policies and practices to ensure that it doesn’t violate human rights laws and associated obligations. We can provide advice regarding avoiding human rights claims, an employer’s duty to accommodate an employee, how to deal with employees with disabilities, and dealing with older employees.
In the event you do have a human rights complaint against your organization, we are experienced in assisting with defending your company’s reputation and legal position, whether through negotiations, mediation or before the Human Tribunal.
Contact the lawyers at Taylor & Blair LLP today to set up a consultation regarding your human rights issue.