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ARTICLE · 27 MARCH 2026

Family Status Accommodations: How Employers Should Handle Childcare And Eldercare Requests

Miller Thomson
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As offices continue to shift away from the full-time work-from-home days of the COVID pandemic into either hybrid work environments or full-time in-office requirements, employers are increasingly grappling...

CanadaEmployment and HR
Nafisah Chowdhury
Nafisah Chowdhury
Matthew Wray
Matthew Wray
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As offices continue to shift away from the full-time work-from-home days of the COVID pandemic into either hybrid work environments or full-time in-office requirements, employers are increasingly grappling with the question of how best to respond to requests from employees for accommodations on the basis of childcare or eldercare duties. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, employers are well advised to keep certain governing principles in mind when facing such accommodation requests. 

What is “family status” under human rights law?

Under human rights laws across various Canadian jurisdictions, “family status”, which generally refers to one’s family caregiving duties, is a protected ground. This means that employers are:

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