In
The Sales Associate v. Aurora Biomed Inc. and others, 2021 BCHRT
5 the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal
ruled in favour of a Complainant who had been discriminated against
on the basis of sex. This case provides important lessons for
employers with regard to the importance of how subtle comments can
constitute discrimination in the workplace.
Facts
A sales associate brought a complaint of discrimination and
retaliation against her former employer of 13 months.
The sales associate's complaint set out that the
company's founder made comments about her appearance, calling
her a “beautiful lady” or “beautiful girl”,
and further that she was told to “smile more”.
The sales associate brought her issues to the attention of her
Supervisor, who was the Respondent's daughter. In a meeting
with the Respondent and her Supervisor, the sales associate's
complaints were discussed, and she was asked to sign a document
stating she had not been sexually harassed. The
