By the numbers

Statistics

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 2016.

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 2016

1,488

complaints receivedGo to footnote 1

816

complaints acceptedGo to footnote 2

358

complaints referred to another redress processGo to footnote 3

268

complaints settled

164

complaints dismissed

41

complaints referred to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

100

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 Commission, and that may lead to an accepted complaint after analysis and review.

Return to footnote 2 An accepted complaint is a document, in a form acceptable to the Commission, 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 Commission can decide not to deal with complaints for any of the reasons listed under section 41 of the Canadian Human Rights Act (e.g. the complaint fell outside of the Commission’s jurisdiction, the complaint was frivolous, vexatious or made in bad faith, etc.)

Figure 21

Complaints received by province or territory

Province or territory
2014
2015
2016
Newfoundland and Labrador
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Prince Edward Island
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Nova Scotia
2014
44
3%
2015
36
3%
2016
68
5%
New Brunswick
2014
34
2%
2015
38
3%
2016
51
3%
Quebec
2014
147
11%
2015
160
13%
2016
162
11%
Ontario
2014
653
48%
2015
583
48%
2016
636
43%
Manitoba
2014
60
4%
2015
52
4%
2016
94
6%
Saskatchewan
2014
28
2%
2015
28
2%
2016
58
4%
Alberta
2014
161
12%
2015
126
10%
2016
148
10%
British Columbia
2014
199
15%
2015
167
14%
2016
234
16%
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Outside of Canada
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Total
2014
1,364
100%
2015
1,207
100%
2016
1,488
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

2014
2015
2016
Private Sector
2014
585
43%
2015
492
41%
2016
641
43%
Federal Government*
2014
616
45%
2015
588
49%
2016
702
47%
Reserves, Bands and Councils
2014
91
7%
2015
81
7%
2016
84
6%
Unions
2014
44
3%
2015
24
2%
2016
28
2%
Individuals
2014
28
2%
2015
22
2%
2016
33
2%
Total
2014
1,364
100%
2015
1,207
100%
2016
1,488
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

2014
2015
2016
Employment-related (sections 7,8,10,11)
2014
1,347
70%
2015
1,145
65%
2016
1,394
64%
Services-related (sections 5,6)
2014
376
19%
2015
391
22%
2016
553
25%
Harassment - employment (section 14)
2014
138
7%
2015
155
9%
2016
158
7%
Union membership (section 9)
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Retaliation (section 14.1)
2014
23
1%
2015
25
1%
2016
37
2%
Harassment - services (section 14)
2014
12
1%
2015
23
1%
2016
31
1%
Notices, signs, symbols (section 12)
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Intimidation (section 59)
2014
0
0%
2015
0
0%
2016
0
0%
Total
2014
1,937
100%
2015
1,759
100%
2016
2,185
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 province or territory

Province or territory
2014
2015
2016
Newfoundland and Labrador
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Prince Edward Island
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Nova Scotia
2014
18
3%
2015
15
2%
2016
33
4%
New Brunswick
2014
16
2%
2015
15
2%
2016
25
3%
Quebec
2014
86
12%
2015
75
12%
2016
79
10%
Ontario
2014
343
48%
2015
305
48%
2016
367
45%
Manitoba
2014
29
4%
2015
31
5%
2016
46
6%
Saskatchewan
2014
13
2%
2015
13
2%
2016
29
4%
Alberta
2014
77
11%
2015
64
10%
2016
78
10%
British Columbia
2014
116
16%
2015
103
16%
2016
142
17%
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Outside of Canada
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Total
2014
720
100%
2015
630
100%
2016
816
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

2014
2015
2016
Private Sector
2014
407
57%
2015
341
54%
2016
428
52%
Federal Government*
2014
216
30%
2015
206
33%
2016
308
38%
Reserves, Bands and Councils
2014
53
7%
2015
57
9%
2016
50
6%
Unions
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Individuals
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Total
2014
720
100%
2015
630
100%
2016
816
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

2014
2015
2016
Employment-related (sections 7,8,10,11)
2014
812
68%
2015
692
64%
2016
884
64%
Services-related (sections 5,6)
2014
210
18%
2015
250
23%
2016
323
23%
Harassment - employment (section 14)
2014
109
9%
2015
99
9%
2016
118
8%
Union membership (section 9)
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Retaliation (section 14.1)
2014
25
2%
2015
19
2%
2016
28
2%
Harassment - services (section 14)
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Notices, signs, symbols (section 12)
2014
--
--
2015
--
--
2016
--
--
Intimidation (section 59)
2014
0
0%
2015
0
0%
2016
0
0%
Total
2014
1,194
100%
2015
1,089
100%
2016
1,389
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

2014
2015
2016
Section 40/41 Analysis*
2014
283
2015
260
2016
234
Dismissed
2014
217
2015
155
2016
164
Settled**
2014
293
2015
226
2016
268
Referred to Tribunal
2014
70
2015
46
2016
41
Total
2014
863
2015
687
2016
707

* 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 2016 by ground of discrimination

Disability
60%
Race
17%
National or ethnic origin
16%
Sex
15%
Family status
11%
Colour
11%
Age
9%
Religion
7%
Marital status
4%
Sexual orientation
3%
Retaliation
2%
Conviction for which a pardon has been granted or record suspended
0%

48% of the disability complaints received by the CHRC were related to mental health issues.

This means that 29% of the complaints received by the CHRC in 2016 were related to mental health.

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