5. Learn more about making a human rights claim
Question & Answer
What can I do if I experience discrimination?If you think an employer, landlord, , or provider has discriminated against you, you can apply to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO). The can decide if you experienced .
You should try to get legal advice before you decide to make an . You can get free legal advice and information from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre or a community legal clinic.
You start the process by making an application to the Tribunal. In your application, you:
- say what happened
- explain why you think the treatment you experienced was discrimination
The Tribunal has an Applicant’s Guide with detailed instructions.
After you file your application, your employer, landlord, union, or service provider will have a chance to respond. You will both have the choice to attend a to try and resolve your issues. If you can't resolve your issues, there will be a hearing where a Tribunal member will decide if you were discriminated against. The whole process can take more than three years to complete.
Time limits
The deadline to apply to the Tribunal is one year from the date you were discriminated against.
It is very important that you file your application with the Tribunal within the one year . If you miss the deadline, you can still apply but you must explain why you're applying late. It is very rare for the Tribunal to accept a late application.
What the Tribunal can do
If the Tribunal decides that the employer, landlord, union, or service provider discriminated against you, the Tribunal can them to:
- pay you money
- change their practices so they follow human rights laws
You can ask for money to cover costs that you had because of the discrimination. You can also ask for money because of the hurt you were caused.