British Columbia
Overview
Please review the information below and then return to the workplace harassment and violence prevention course.
Applicable Laws
The primary British Columbia law prohibiting employment discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of any protected ground is the British Columbia Human Rights Code.
The British Columbia Occupational Health and Safety Regulation prohibits harassment and violence in the workplace.
Protected Grounds
Harassment or discrimination based on any ground set forth below is prohibited in British Columbia.
- Age
- Family status
- Marital status
- Physical disability
- Mental disability
- Race, colour, place of origin, and ancestry
- Indigenous identity
- Sex
- Gender identity or expression
- Sexual orientation
- Religion
- Criminal conviction
- Political belief
- Source of income
Some provincial or territorial laws provide additional, separate standards and remedies for certain prohibited conduct, such as laws addressing equal pay without regard to sex or other protected ground.
Definitions of Harassment and Violence
Harassment includes any inappropriate conduct or comment by a person towards a worker that the person knew or reasonably ought to have known would cause that worker to be humiliated or intimidated, but excludes any reasonable action taken by an employer or supervisor relating to the management and direction of workers or the place of employment.
Violence includes any inappropriate conduct or comment by a person towards a worker in the workplace that the person knew or reasonably ought to have known would cause that worker to be humiliated or intimidated, but excludes any reasonable action taken by an employer or supervisor relating to the management and direction of workers or the place of employment.
Filing a Claim in British Columbia
A claim for employment discrimination or harassment based on a protected ground may be filed with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal.
A claim related to workplace violence, including harassment, may be filed with WorkSafeBC.
Retaliation Prohibited
Employer retaliation against an employee who files a complaint relating to harassment or workplace violence or is involved in the complaint process is unlawful.