4. Tell someone if your employer abuses you

Domestic workers usually live in the same house as their employer. They have less money and power, and rarely have permanent status in Canada. This makes it easy for employers to abuse you and threaten to deport you from Canada.

Abuse

Many domestic workers are abused by their employer or their employer's family. This includes:

• sexual abuse
• psychological abuse
• physical abuse
• financial abuse

If your life is in danger or you need help right away, call 911.

If it's not safe to keep living with your employer and you need a place to stay, contact a women’s shelter or visit www.211ontario.ca.

You can also quit your job without being deported. If you're being abused at work, the government of Canada lets you apply for an open work permit so that you can legally search for another job.

You can apply for an open work permit if:

• your current work permit has not expired, or
• you have maintained status

Maintained status is when you've applied to extend your temporary resident status in Canada before your work permit has expired. And you're waiting for the decision on the extension application.

When you apply for an open work permit you must explain the abuse. You can include documents proving it happened.

It can take as long as 6 months to get this permit.

If you need legal help, these organizations can help you for free:

• the Caregivers’ Action Centre
• the Workers’ Action Centre. There are many ways to contact them, including by phone at 416-531-0778.
• your local community legal clinic. You can find your local clinic by calling Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 or looking on their website.

Discrimination

If your employer treats you differently because of one of the 17 personal characteristics in Ontario's Human Rights Code, you may be able to make a claim against them at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO).

There are 17 personal characteristics in the Human Rights Code that 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

The HRTO can order your employer to:

• pay you money because they discriminated against you, or
• stop saying or doing things to you.

Read more in How do I make a claim to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario?