CNESST
The Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité de travail (CNESST) is a provincial body responsible for resolving conflicts dealing with labour standards, compensation for workplace injury, and equal pay for equal work. It can also hear complaints brought by workers facing discrimination, which it refers to as a “prohibited practice”.
However, the CNESST can only review discrimination complaints made by employees or workers of provincially regulated workplaces (see our Rights in Provincial Workplaces subsection for more information).
If you are unionized, you must first file a grievance with your union as described in the terms of your collective agreement between the union and your employer.
Visit the CNESST’s website for all the information on how to file a complaint concerning a prohibited practice like discrimination.
Know that before filing a complaint, you must complete and submit their File a Complaint questionnaire within 45 days of the date that the discriminatory action took place.
However, if you have been discriminated because of your age (such as being forced to retire), then you have 90 days to file a complaint.
When filing a complaint, be aware that CNESST’s online portal MonEspace, through which complainants may check on the status of their discrimination case, is available only in French.
If the treatment you faced at work is declared discriminatory by the CNESST, it will then send you instructions on how to file an official complaint.
For more information on how to contact and effectively interact with the CNESST administration, visit the Services in English for Provincial Workers subsection of our website.
Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL)
Formerly known as the Régie du logement until 2020, the Administrative Housing Tribunal (known in French as the Tribunal administratif du logement or TAL) is an independent provincial body that oversees and resolves conflicts involving residential leases.
The TAL can also hear cases of alleged discrimination against a current or potential tenant, such as in certain cases where a landlord:
The TAL can also hear cases of alleged discrimination against a current or potential tenant, such as in certain cases where a landlord:
Terminates a tenant’s lease without a valid reason; or
Refuses to rent a residence to a potential tenant.
For more information on how to file an application and have your case heard by the TAL, consult the Leasing & Renting subsection of our website.
Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ)
The human rights commission of Quebec, the CDPDJ is taksed with upholding the protections guaranteed in Quebec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. It hears and investigates most alleged cases of discrimination in various provincially regulated sectors, such as:
The provincially regulated workplace (for example, certain cases of an employer discriminating against a worker or a job candidate by firing or refusing to hire them – see our Rights in Provincial Workplaces subsection for more information);
The rental market (for instance, certain cases of a landlord discriminating against a possible tenant by refusing to rent to them);
The healthcare network (for example, certain cases of a doctor or nurse denying treatment to a patient); or
Provincial government departments and institutions (for example, certain cases of a civil servant discriminating against a member of the public by denying them service).
The rental market (for instance, certain cases of a landlord discriminating against a possible tenant by refusing to rent to them);
The healthcare network (for example, certain cases of a doctor or nurse denying treatment to a patient); or
Provincial government departments and institutions (for example, certain cases of a civil servant discriminating against a member of the public by denying them service).
Visit the CDPDJ website to learn how to file a complaint of discrimination.
You can also fill in and sign the Commission’s PDF complaint form and send it to either plainte@cdpdj.qc.ca or by mail to the following address:
Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
360 rue Saint-Jacques, 2nd Floor
Montreal, Quebec
H2Y 1P5
360 rue Saint-Jacques, 2nd Floor
Montreal, Quebec
H2Y 1P5
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can also fill in and submit an online version of the complaint form by clicking here.
It is important to file a complaint as soon as possible, but you must do so within at most 3 years of the discriminatory action having taken place.
However, please keep in mind that the CDPDJ can choose to refuse to hear a complaint that is filed over 2 years after the discriminatory action took place.
In a case of discrimination by a municipality or police force, a complaint must be filed within 6 months after the discriminatory action took place.
In a case of discrimination by a municipality or police force, a complaint must be filed within 6 months after the discriminatory action took place.
Once your complaint has been filed, it usually takes the CDPDJ about 15 months to complete their investigation.
If sufficient evidence has been gathered and other methods of resolving the issue (such as mediation or arbitration) have failed, the Commission can suggest corrective measures the discriminating individual must do.
If these measures are not respected, then the CDPDJ can choose to represent you before the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal.
CDPDJ Services in English:
Aside from some untranslated PDF forms and documents, most of the CDPDJ’s website is available in both French and English. Discrimination complaints may also be filed in both of these languages.
When trying to reach the CDPDJ via telephone (1-800-361-6477):
Press “9” to listen to the automated voice recording and information menu in English.
Press “0” to speak with an agent who can answer your questions.
Press “0” to speak with an agent who can answer your questions.
When it comes to language of communication with the public, the CDPDJ follows the rules and guidelines outlined in the Politique gouvernmentale relative à l’emploi et à la qualité de la langue française dans l’administration (only available in French).
This province-wide language policy requires that all communications (spoken or in writing) with the public be done in French.
However, CDPDJ staff are permitted to communicate in English with Indigenous persons, or individuals or organizations from outside Quebec.
Regarding telephone conversations, CDPDJ staff can assist and communicate with you in English if you do not speak or understand French well enough to carry out a conversation.
CDPDJ staff addressed in a language other than French must first verify whether you are able to understand French. They will most likely do this by asking you directly.
If you then confirm that you cannot understand French, then the CDPDJ representative can continue to speak to you in English.
If the CDPDJ representative is unable to speak in English, they can find a co-worker who can better serve you.
NOTE: Based on the wording of the CDPDJ’s language policy, while staff members are encouraged to help you in English in certain circumstances, they are not obligated to do so.
Also, on June 1, 2022, the Quebec government passed Bill 96, a new law that would require all government institutions to follow the rules of a universal language policy to be drawn up by the Ministry of the French Language. This province-wide language policy will:
Require government institutions to draw up guidelines pinpointing the situations in which it is acceptable to provide services in English.
Tighten the rules around when a government institution is allowed to offer services to the public in English.
While the Ministry’s language policy has not yet been released, these modifications could narrow the CDPDJ’s language policy and further restrict the CDPDJ’s ability to offer its services to Quebecers in English.
The bill is currently being discussed in consultations before the Committee on Culture and Education at the National Assembly. More information will be provided as new developments emerge.
Quebec Human Rights Tribunal (QHRT)
The QHRT can hear and decide on cases of discrimination, harassment, affirmative action programs, or exploitation of elderly or handicapable individuals. Most of these cases can be brought to them by the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ), if other corrective measures or efforts at out-of-court settlements and agreements have failed.
The Tribunal hears cases in all of Quebec’s judicial districts, and its decisions may be appealed to the Quebec Court of Appeal.
The Canadian Constitution gives you the right to access the QHRT in both French and English. This means that you have the right to file your application, communicate with the tribunal clerks, testify before the members of the tribunal, participate in settlement conferences, and have the tribunal’s judgment on your case be written in English.
Visit the QHRT website for more information. You can also consult their Forms and Guides webpage for important documents, translated into English, you will likely need to fill in before or while your case is before the tribunal.
NOTE: On June 1, 2022, the Quebec government passed Bill 96, a new law that would impose new language rules upon the province’s court system. Controversially, this bill will:
The Tribunal hears cases in all of Quebec’s judicial districts, and its decisions may be appealed to the Quebec Court of Appeal.
The Canadian Constitution gives you the right to access the QHRT in both French and English. This means that you have the right to file your application, communicate with the tribunal clerks, testify before the members of the tribunal, participate in settlement conferences, and have the tribunal’s judgment on your case be written in English.
Visit the QHRT website for more information. You can also consult their Forms and Guides webpage for important documents, translated into English, you will likely need to fill in before or while your case is before the tribunal.
NOTE: On June 1, 2022, the Quebec government passed Bill 96, a new law that would impose new language rules upon the province’s court system. Controversially, this bill will:
No longer require that judges and members appointed to Quebec tribunals have English-language skills.
Let the Ministers of Justice and the French Language decide which judicial districts (i.e. cities and towns) in Quebec may have judges and tribunal members with English-language skills.
Require all written English-language judgments to include a French-language translation.
Let the Ministers of Justice and the French Language decide which judicial districts (i.e. cities and towns) in Quebec may have judges and tribunal members with English-language skills.
Require all written English-language judgments to include a French-language translation.
If passed, this new bill could make it much harder for English-speakers in Quebec to access the QHRT in English.
It could make accessing an English-speaking judge in Quebec very difficult for English-speakers living in certain parts of the province.
It could also create delays in resolving disputes for English-speaking victims of discrimination not otherwise experienced by Quebec’s French-speaking population.
It could also create delays in resolving disputes for English-speaking victims of discrimination not otherwise experienced by Quebec’s French-speaking population.
The bill is currently being discussed in consultations before the Committee on Culture and Education at the National Assembly. More information will be provided as new developments emerge.
Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC)
The CHRC is tasked with resolving any violations of the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Employment Equity Act. More precisely, the Commission deals with any issues or problems of federal human rights laws. It makes sure that your equality and non-discrimination rights are respected in all areas under federal regulation. Such areas include:
Banks (TD Canada Trust, Bank of Montreal, Royal Bank of Canada, etc.);
The postal service (Canada Post);
Telephone, radio, and television companies (Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Telus, Astral Media, etc.);
Crown corporations (CBC/Radio-Canada, National Gallery of Canada, Royal Canadian Mint, etc.);
Interprovincial and international transport companies (VIA Rail Canada Inc., Air Canada, trucking and maritime transport companies, airports, etc.); and
Federal government departments and institutions (Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, Health Canada, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, etc.).
The postal service (Canada Post);
Telephone, radio, and television companies (Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Telus, Astral Media, etc.);
Crown corporations (CBC/Radio-Canada, National Gallery of Canada, Royal Canadian Mint, etc.);
Interprovincial and international transport companies (VIA Rail Canada Inc., Air Canada, trucking and maritime transport companies, airports, etc.); and
Federal government departments and institutions (Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, Health Canada, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, etc.).
As a federal institution, the CHRC provides all of its services and procedures in both French and English. This includes mediation, hearings, interviews, and written evaluations of complaints.
Visit the Commission’s website to read on how to file a complaint of discrimination.
To file a complaint successfully, you can either file the online complaint form or download the PDF complaint form and submit it by mail to the following address:
To file a complaint successfully, you can either file the online complaint form or download the PDF complaint form and submit it by mail to the following address:
Canadian Human Rights Commission
344 Slater Street, 8th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1E1
344 Slater Street, 8th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1E1
You must file your complaint within one year of the discriminatory action having taken place if you wish it to be accepted by the CHRC.
Once your complaint has been accepted, the Commission will schedule a mediation session to try and reach a settlement agreement between the complainant and the person accused of discrimination.
Should you or the other person not agree to participate, or should the mediation fail, then the CHRC will continue to assess more deeply the provided evidence and information.
The Commission will then come to a decision about whether to:
Dismiss the complaint;
Send the complainant to conciliation (a second round of mediation); or
Refer the complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to determine if discrimination has indeed taken place.
Send the complainant to conciliation (a second round of mediation); or
Refer the complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to determine if discrimination has indeed taken place.
You can learn more about the details of the complaint process at the CHRC by clicking here.
You can also reach the CHRC via telephone at 613-995-1191, or 1-888-214-1090 (toll free). Visit its contact page for more information.
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT)
Independent and separate from the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC), the CHRT hears and decides on cases of alleged discrimination or harassment to which it is referred by the Commission. It can only hear cases of discrimination that take place in federally regulated sectors (consult the information about the CHRC above for more details).
As a federal institution, the CHRT provides all its services and procedures in both French and English. This includes submission of complaints and evidence by the CHRC, its hearings, witness testimonies, and written decisions on cases.
The Tribunal can take on discrimination cases from federally regulated sectors and offer mediation services to help you try and reach a settlement agreement.
For more information on the CHRT mediation process, click here. If you and the person you have complained against agree to mediation, you must sign and submit the CHRT’s Mediation Agreement PDF form.
If the mediation session fails, or you or the other person refuse to participate, then the case will proceed to a hearing before the Tribunal, which will determine whether discrimination has taken place.
When delivering their final decision, the CHRT can offer a variety of remedies depending on the circumstances, to compensate you appropriately.
Some of these remedies can include:
As a federal institution, the CHRT provides all its services and procedures in both French and English. This includes submission of complaints and evidence by the CHRC, its hearings, witness testimonies, and written decisions on cases.
The Tribunal can take on discrimination cases from federally regulated sectors and offer mediation services to help you try and reach a settlement agreement.
For more information on the CHRT mediation process, click here. If you and the person you have complained against agree to mediation, you must sign and submit the CHRT’s Mediation Agreement PDF form.
If the mediation session fails, or you or the other person refuse to participate, then the case will proceed to a hearing before the Tribunal, which will determine whether discrimination has taken place.
When delivering their final decision, the CHRT can offer a variety of remedies depending on the circumstances, to compensate you appropriately.
Some of these remedies can include:
Taking actions to end the discriminatory practice or prevent it in future;
Providing you with the rights and opportunities of which you were deprived because of the discrimination;
Paying you for lost wages or expenses due to the discrimination (this, however, does not include legal fees); or
Offering compensation for your pain and suffering as a result of the discrimination.
Providing you with the rights and opportunities of which you were deprived because of the discrimination;
Paying you for lost wages or expenses due to the discrimination (this, however, does not include legal fees); or
Offering compensation for your pain and suffering as a result of the discrimination.
Visit the CHRT website for a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Tribunal. You can also read more about how your case will be evaluated by the CHRT by clicking here.
You can reach the CHRT via telephone at 613-995-1707, or 1-888-899-3604 (toll free). Visit its contact page for more information.
