Workplace Human Rights

What Constitutes A Human Rights Conflict in the Workplace?

Any workplace conflict, personal harassment or bullying that relates to an employee’s:

•    race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, age or unrelated criminal conviction (often referred to as "protected grounds" under the Human Rights Code) constitutes a human rights conflict in the workplace and is sometimes referred to as “Discriminatory Harassment”.  

What Should You Do If You Suspect A Human Rights Conflict In Your Workplace?

Given the extensive rules of the Tribunal and the significant exposure to an “adverse outcome”, managers should seek expert advice as soon as they become concerned that there may be an issue. 

Marli Rusen is an experienced harassment and human rights investigator in British Columbia and can assist you in diagnosing and resolving human rights issues in the workplace.  Contact her today for a free consultation.

More on Discriminatory Harassment

Discriminatory harassment includes Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.

Discriminatory harassment includes direct harassment (conduct or statements directed at employees) and indirect harassment (conduct, such as jokes, pictures and stories, not directed at an employee but which adversely affects the overall workplace environment).  

Discrimination entails any unfair differential treatment or management decision (for example, hiring, firing, discipline) that is in any way based upon or related to the same criteria or "protected grounds" set out above.

Discriminatory harassment and discrimination violate the BC Human Rights Code.  Employees who are subject to this type of treatment are entitled to file internal workplace complaints or grievances or may launch a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

The Human Rights Tribunal has created a number of detailed rules and regulations pertaining to human rights complaints. Many of these rules are technical and time-sensitive.  

The Human Rights Tribunal has issued numerous awards in which significant monetary damages have been imposed upon co-workers, individual managers and employers based upon a finding of discrimination or discriminatory harassment towards an employee.  

Given the extensive rules of the Tribunal and the significant exposure to an “adverse outcome”, managers should seek expert advice as soon as they receive a complaint from the Human Rights Tribunal.