Amend CHRA to include volunteers
Petitioners ask the Canadian Human Rights Act be amended by changing sections 7 and 25 to explicitly extend federal human-rights protections to volunteers and other unpaid workers.
Why we would sign this petition
- Clarifies that volunteers and unpaid workers are covered by federal human-rights law, removing legal uncertainty about protections in federally regulated workplaces.
- Creates consistency with provincial codes like Ontario’s, reducing unequal protection between jurisdictions and for those serving federal institutions or sectors.
- Provides an explicit prohibition on discrimination against unpaid contributors, helping to prevent exclusion or mistreatment based on pay status.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- May impose new legal obligations and administrative burdens on federal institutions and non-profits that rely on volunteers, increasing compliance costs or risks.
- Could create overlap or conflict with provincial human-rights regimes and complicate jurisdictional boundaries for enforcement.
- Amending the CHRA may be a blunt tool; tailored regulations or guidance might address gaps without broad legal changes.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled The Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) protects individuals from discrimination in the federal sphere, including in employment; Section 7 of the CHRA prohibits discrimination “in the course of employment,” but the Act does not explicitly mention volunteers or other unpaid workers; Section 25 of the CHRA defines employment as a contractual relationship for the provision of services personally by an individual, which does not extend to volunteers or other unpaid workers; Volunteers and other unpaid workers provide essential services to countless federal institutions, federally regulated sectors, and non-profits that fall under federal jurisdiction, yet they remain in a legal grey area under the CHRA; The Ontario Human Rights Code, Section 5(1), states that “every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination,” which has been interpreted to include volunteers and unpaid workers, providing stronger and clearer protection than the CHRA; and Explicitly including volunteers and other unpaid workers in the CHRA would provide clarity, consistency, and protection for all Canadians contributing their time and skills without pay. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada,, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to amend Sections 7 and 25 of the Canadian Human Rights Act to explicitly extend its protections to volunteers and unpaid workers, ensuring that discrimination against them is prohibited under federal human rights law.
Government response
No government response is available yet.