Hiring Pitfalls
To avoid hiring pitfalls, employers should be aware of
applicable human rights legislation. An employer that is federally
regulated is subject to the Canada Human Rights Act,
whereas provincially regulated employers fall under the
jurisdiction of the Ontario Human Rights Code
("Code").
This article will focus on discrimination in the hiring process
under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
The
purpose of human rights legislation in Ontario is "... to
recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every person and to
provide for equal rights and opportunities without
discrimination." To this end, employers are prohibited from
basing hiring decisions on protected grounds: age, creed,
disability, family and marital status, gender identity and gender
expression, race and related grounds, receipt of public assistance,
record of offences, sex and sexual orientation.
