Consider your options

It can be difficult to know which option is best for you. It's a good idea to get legal advice to help you decide.

You may be able to make a claim to the Ministry of Labour if you were punished because you stood up for rights that Ontario's Employment Standards Act gives workers.

You may be able to make a human rights claim at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario if your employer punished you for a reason that goes against your human rights.

If the Ministry or the Tribunal decides that your employer broke the law, they can order that the employer:

• pay you money
• give you a job
• change their practices so they follow the law

You can ask for money to cover costs that you had or to replace money that you were forced to spend because of what the employer did. You can also ask for money because of how the employer's actions affected you.

When an employer does not respect your rights, this can hurt you. The Ministry or the Tribunal can order an employer to pay you money for the hurt that they caused you. You don't have to show that what they did cost you money.

If you were fired, you might also be able to sue your employer in court.