What if I’m not hired because an employer discriminates against me?
There are steps you can take if an employer discriminates against you in a way that goes against Ontario's human rights laws. You might be able to make a claim against the employer with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
If the Tribunal decides that the employer discriminated against you, it could order them to:
- pay you money
- take human rights training
- develop human rights policies
What the law says about discrimination
Employers cannot discriminate for reasons that go against human rights laws.
This usually means that an employer cannot refuse to hire you because of a that's listed in the Human Rights Code. These personal characteristics relate to your:
- race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, and ethnic origin
- citizenship
- religion
- sex, gender, , and
- sexual orientation
- family and marital status
- age
And an employer cannot discriminate against you because you've been convicted of a crime, if you have a . A record suspension used to be called a pardon.
Read more in Can an employer ask me if I have a police record?
Employers’ rules
Some employers say they have rules that apply to everyone. And they only hire people who can follow these rules. This could be if you cannot follow a rule for a reason that goes against your human rights.
For example, an employer might have a dress code or rule about what people must wear at work. They say that the rule applies to everyone. But the employer may have to let you dress differently if you wear something for religious reasons.
