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Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Office

Discrimination defined

Supreme Court of Canada definition of discrimination

The Supreme Court of Canada provided the legal definition for discrimination in its 1989 decision in Andrews v. Law Society of British Columbia:

Discrimination may be described as "a distinction, whether intentional or not but based on grounds relating to personal characteristics of the individual or group, which has the effect of imposing burdens, obligations, or disadvantages on such individual or group not imposed upon others, or which withholds or limits access to opportunities, benefits, and advantages available to other members of society. Distinctions based on personal characteristics attributed to an individual solely on the basis of association with a group will rarely escape the charge of discrimination, while those based on an individual's merits and capacities will rarely be so classed."

Human rights code violations are harassment

The definition of harassment at UFV specifically includes discrimination based on any of the prohibited grounds as set out in the Human Rights Code:

It includes behaviour that would be considered discriminatory under the BC Human Rights Code, including humiliating, offending or demeaning a person or group of persons on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, family status, marital status, physical or mental disability, age, sex, sexual orientation or conviction for a criminal offence unrelated to employment.

The legislative authority governing human rights-based discrimination in British Columbia is the Human Rights Code.

BRP-220.02 Harassment Prevention Policy

New training initiative for all UFV employees

Help build a positive and inclusive workplace: complete your mandatory “Respect in the Workplace” web-based training now.

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