2. Find out if human rights laws apply to you

You may not be able to find a way to care for your relative that does not affect your job.

Human rights laws in Ontario say that employers cannot treat employees unfairly because of their family status. Family status refers to a relationship that's like that between a parent and a child.

If you cannot follow a workplace rule because of your family status, your employer may have to change how the rule applies to you.

Caring for a relative

Here are some of the ways you could be caring for a relative:

• dropping your child off or picking them up from daycare or school
• taking your child or parent to medical appointments
• caring for your sick child or an older parent

For human rights laws about family status to apply to you, there are rules about how you are related to your family member.

Parents and children

For you to be protected by the human rights laws about family status, you must be in a parent and child relationship.

For example, if you're a parent, this means that you could be:

• a biological parent
• a legal parent from when your child was born, for example, you used a sperm or egg donor
• a parent because you adopted a child
• a step-parent
• a foster parent
• a legal guardian for a child

If you're caring for your parent, these same examples apply if your parent is one of the above.

Other family relationships

If your relationship is not on the list above, it still might be protected by human rights laws about family status.

You need to have a relationship to the person you're caring for that's like that between a parent and a child. This can include people who care for:

• an older family member,
• a relative who is sick, or
• a family member who has a disability.

Ontario’s Human Rights Code

Most employers in Ontario must follow Ontario's Human Rights Code. The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario deals with complaints against these employers.

Canadian Human Rights Act

Employers who are covered by the Canada Labour Code must follow the Canadian Human Rights Act. This includes banks, airlines, some trucking businesses, and broadcasting. The Government of Canada has a complete list.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission deals with complaints against these employers.