The BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner recently released
two publications that deal with COVID-19 issues relating to
employment. One is a statement from the Commissioner and the other
addresses frequently asked questions.
The provincial government established the Office of the Human
Rights Commissioner in 2019. Its role focuses on investigation and
education, as opposed to BC's Human Rights Tribunal which hears
and decides complaints relating to human rights.
The Commissioner's statement says the following with respect
to COVID-19:
In this time of rapidly changing circumstances, neither
the Human Rights Tribunal nor the courts have had time to weigh in
on whether COVID-19 amounts to a disability. However, in my view as
BC's Human Rights Commissioner, it does. The
seriousness of this illness – and the potential stigma that
attaches to it – make it more akin to the legal protections
that apply to HIV than to the common cold. Therefore,
discrimination on
