Glossary
In Migrant workers, Immigration Law, Income Assistance, Refugee Law
A permanent resident is someone who has the right to live permanently in Canada. A permanent resident is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents can be ordered to leave Canada for reasons given in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
In Employment and Work, Health and Disability, Housing Law, Human Rights
A personal characteristic is a quality that a person has. There are 17 personal characteristics protected by Ontario’s Human Rights Code. These are sometimes called “protected grounds”. They relate to your:
- race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, and ethnic origin
- citizenship
- religion
- sex, gender, gender identity, and gender expression
- sexual orientation
- family and marital status
- disability
- age
Two personal characteristics are protected only in certain situations. You’re protected from being treated unfairly:
- in housing if you get income support from the government
- at work if you have a record suspension, which used to be called a pardon
In Employment and Work, Health and Disability, Housing Law, Human Rights
A personal characteristic is a quality that a person has. There are 17 personal characteristics protected by Ontario’s Human Rights Code. These are sometimes called “protected grounds”. They relate to your:
- race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, and ethnic origin
- citizenship
- religion
- sex, gender, gender identity, and gender expression
- sexual orientation
- family and marital status
- disability
- age
Two personal characteristics are protected only in certain situations. You’re protected from being treated unfairly:
- in housing if you get income support from the government
- at work if you have a record suspension, which used to be called a pardon
If you’re a temporary foreign worker in Canada, physical abuse means that your employer harms you, or causes you pain or physical injury. For example, your employer might:
- hit, slap, punch, or burn you
- lock you in a room and not let you out
- force you to live in a dirty or unhealthy place
- force you to work in unsafe conditions
- force you to use drugs or alcohol
In Employment and Work, Tribunals and Courts
If you sue someone in court, you are called the plaintiff. The person you are suing is called the defendant.
When you’re paid premium pay, you get 1 1/2 times your regular rate of pay. People often call this “time and a half”. The rules about public holidays give some workers the right to get premium pay when they work on a holiday.
If you’re a temporary foreign worker in Canada, psychological abuse means that your employer threatens you, insults you, or scares you so they get what they want. For example, your employer might:
- threaten to have you deported
- call you names
Your qualifying period is usually the last 52 weeks before the start of your Employment Insurance claim. To figure out your qualifying period, start on the Sunday before you had an interruption of earnings, and then count backwards 52 weeks from there.
Quarantine means that you are being kept away from other people because you may have been exposed to someone with a serious illness.
In Employment and Work, Income Assistance
A “reconsideration” is when you ask Service Canada to review a decision. For example, this could be a decision about Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits, or payments from the Old Age Security (OAS) program.
Someone at Service Canada reviews the decision and decides whether or not to change it. This is a different person than the one who made the decision you disagree with.