By the
numbers

In any given year, the Canadian Human Rights Commission helps thousands of people determine whether they have a valid human rights complaint. In many cases, the Commission helps people resolve their issues quickly and informally, or find the appropriate process to resolve their concerns.

Only a fraction of the people who contact the Commission file a formal discrimination complaint.

The statistics below report on formal written complaints handled by the Commission in 2017.

By law, the Commission must consider every discrimination complaint it receives. The Commission can decide not to deal with the complaint or refer it to an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

When possible, the Commission encourages people to try to resolve their disputes informally and at the earliest opportunity. In the event no agreement is reached, the Commission may conduct an investigation.

When warranted, the Commission can refer the case to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for a hearing.

Complaints filed with the Commission in 2017

1,083

complaints receivedGo to footnote 1

795

complaints acceptedGo to footnote 2

361

complaints referred to another redress processGo to footnote 3

215

complaints settled

156

complaints dismissed

58

complaints referred to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

90

complaints not dealt withGo to footnote 4

Return to footnote 1 A received complaint, also known as a potential complaint, is a contact that falls within the mandate of the CHRC, and that may lead to an accepted complaint after analysis and review. In 2017, the CHRC made an administrative change which has reduced the number of complaints received by no longer creating case files for contacts where a complaint form was requested but not received. This change was put in place in mid-2017 and is reflected in the reduced difference between complaints received and accepted.

Return to footnote 2 An accepted complaint is a document, in a form acceptable to the CHRC that is filed by an individual or group of individuals having reasonable grounds for believing that a person or organization is engaging or has engaged in a discriminatory practice.

Return to footnote 3 The number of complaints referred to another redress process includes those that were referred to the Public Service Labour Relations Board or the Public Service Staffing Tribunal before they became accepted complaints.

Return to footnote 4 The CHRC can decide not to deal with complaints that do not meet the criteria listed under subsections 41 (CDE) of the Canadian Human Rights Act (e.g. the complaint fell outside of the CHRC’s jurisdiction or the complaint was frivolous, vexatious or made in bad faith.)

Figure 21

Complaints received by province or territory

Province / Territory
2015
2016
2017
Newfoundland and Labrador
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Prince Edward Island
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Nova Scotia
2015
36
3%
2016
68
5%
2017
34
3%
New Brunswick
2015
38
3%
2016
51
3%
2017
27
2%
Quebec
2015
160
13%
2016
162
11%
2017
138
13%
Ontario
2015
583
48%
2016
636
43%
2017
497
46%
Manitoba
2015
52
4%
2016
94
6%
2017
49
5%
Saskatchewan
2015
28
2%
2016
58
4%
2017
34
3%
Alberta
2015
126
10%
2016
148
10%
2017
136
13%
British Columbia
2015
167
14%
2016
234
16%
2017
152
14%
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Outside of Canada
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Total
2015
1,207
100%
2016
1,488
100%
2017
1,083
100%

The percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

— Rows suppressed when one or more values cannot be published for confidentiality reasons.

Figure 32

Complaints received by type of respondents

2015
2016
2017
Private Sector
2015
492
41%
2016
641
43%
2017
539
50%
Federal Government*
2015
588
49%
2016
702
47%
2017
441
41%
Reserves, Bands and Councils
2015
81
7%
2016
84
6%
2017
53
5%
Unions
2015
24
2%
2016
28
2%
2017
22
2%
Individuals
2015
22
2%
2016
33
2%
2017
28
3%
Total
2015
1,207
100%
2016
1,488
100%
2017
1,083
100%

The percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

*Includes employers in the core public administration, separate federal government organizations or agencies and Crown corporations.

Figure 43

Complaints received by type of allegation cited

2015
2016
2017
Employment-related (sections 7,8,10,11)
2015
1,145
65%
2016
1,394
64%
2017
990
63%
Services-related (sections 5,6)
2015
391
22%
2016
553
25%
2017
363
23%
Harassment - employment (section 14)
2015
155
9%
2016
158
7%
2017
149
10%
Union membership (section 9)
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Retaliation (section 14.1)
2015
25
1%
2016
37
2%
2017
24
2%
Harassment - services (section 14)
2015
23
1%
2016
31
1%
2017
17
1%
Notices, signs, symbols (section 12)
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Intimidation (section 59)
2015
0
0%
2016
0
0%
2017
0
0%
Total
2015
1,759
100%
2016
2,185
100%
2017
1,560
100%

Total number of allegations cited exceeds the total number of received complaints because some complaints dealt with more than one allegation.

The percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

— Rows suppressed when one or more values cannot be published for confidentiality reasons.

Figure 54

Complaints accepted by jurisdiction

Province / Territory
2015
2016
2017
Newfoundland and Labrador
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Prince Edward Island
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Nova Scotia
2015
15
2%
2016
33
4%
2017
24
3%
New Brunswick
2015
15
2%
2016
25
3%
2017
—
—
Quebec
2015
75
12%
2016
79
10%
2017
96
12%
Ontario
2015
305
48%
2016
367
45%
2017
352
44%
Manitoba
2015
31
5%
2016
46
6%
2017
45
6%
Saskatchewan
2015
13
2%
2016
29
4%
2017
26
3%
Alberta
2015
64
10%
2016
78
10%
2017
110
14%
British Columbia
2015
103
16%
2016
142
17%
2017
119
15%
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Outside of Canada
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
—
—
Total
2015
630
100%
2016
816
100%
2017
795
100%

The percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

— Rows suppressed when one or more values cannot be published for confidentiality reasons.

Figure 65

Complaints accepted by type of respondents

2015
2016
2017
Private Sector
2015
341
54%
2016
428
52%
2017
414
52%
Federal Government*
2015
206
33%
2016
308
38%
2017
201
38%
Reserves, Bands and Councils
2015
57
9%
2016
50
6%
2017
42
5%
Unions
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
17
2%
Individuals
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
21
3%
Total
2015
630
100%
2016
816
100%
2017
795
100%

*Includes employers in the core public administration, separate federal government organizations or agencies and Crown corporations.

The percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

— Rows suppressed when one or more values cannot be published for confidentiality reasons.

Figure 76

Complaints accepted by type of allegation cited

2015
2016
2017
Employment-related (sections 7,8,10,11)
2015
692
64%
2016
884
64%
2017
772
64%
Services-related (sections 5,6)
2015
250
23%
2016
323
23%
2017
295
24%
Harassment - employment (section 14)
2015
99
9%
2016
118
8%
2017
88
7%
Union membership (section 9)
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
15
1%
Retaliation (section 14.1)
2015
19
2%
2016
28
2%
2017
25
2%
Harassment - services (section 14)
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
14
1%
Notices, signs, symbols (section 12)
2015
—
—
2016
—
—
2017
0
0%
Intimidation (section 59)
2015
0
0%
2016
0
0%
2017
0
0%
Total
2015
1,089
100%
2016
1,389
100%
2017
1,209
100%

The percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

— Rows suppressed when one or more values cannot be published for confidentiality reasons

Total number of allegations cited exceeds the total number of received complaints because some complaints dealt with more than one allegation.

Figure 87

Final decisions by type

2015
2016
2017
Section 40/41 Analysis*
2015
260
2016
234
2017
218
Dismissed
2015
155
2016
164
2017
156
Settled**
2015
226
2016
268
2017
215
Referred to Tribunal
2015
46
2016
41
2017
58
Total
2015
687
2016
707
2017
647

* Under section 40/41 of the Act, the Commission may decide not to deal with a complaint because the complainant ought to pursue another redress mechanism, the incident occurred too long ago, or because the complaint is out of jurisdiction, or considered trivial, frivolous or vexatious.

** Total number of settlements includes all settlements reached between parties, with or without help from the Commission.

Figure 98

Proportion of complaints received in 2017 by ground of discrimination

Disability
59%
National or ethnic origin
19%
Race
18%
Sex
15%
Family status
12%
Colour
11%
Age
10%
Religion
7%
Marital status
5%
Sexual orientation
4%
Gender identity or expression
1%
Genetic characteristics
0%
Pardoned conviction
0%

31% of the disability complaints received by the CHRC were related to mental health issues.

This means that 18% all complaints received by the CHRC in 2017 were related to mental health.

NOTE: In this graph, the total exceeds 100% because some complaints cite more than one ground.