Have a question about human rights, harassment, discrimination, accessibility, or the duty to accommodate at Queen’s? We’re here to help.
Human rights advisors are always willing to meet with members of the Queen’s community and talk about their rights and responsibilities. That being said, we know that it can sometimes be intimidating to schedule a face-to-face meeting with an advisor and that you might have questions that you want to ask us anonymously.
“Ask a Human Rights Advisor” allows students, staff, and faculty to ask general questions about topics such as harassment, discrimination, reprisal, the duty to accommodate, Queen’s policies, the Ontario Human Rights Code, or the services offered by HREO.
You can browse answers to previously submitted questions below. If you have a question you don’t see answered, feel free to submit it using this form. We also share answers to questions that have been submitted on the HREO Instagram page.
Please keep in mind that we may not be able to respond to every question that is submitted. If you’d like advice about a specific situation or would prefer to speak directly with a human rights advisor, please complete the Meeting Request Form and we’ll be happy to connect with you.
General Questions About Human Rights Advisory Services:
Anyone at Queen's, including students, staff, and faculty, can access human rights advisory services.
You do not need to file a complaint to meet with a human rights advisor. While a human rights advisor will discuss the options available to you during your meeting (including complaint processes), a human rights advisor will never make you file a complaint. Human rights advisors respect your autonomy and agency.
You can always come and talk to us if you have concerns about something that has happened. Depending on the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the university - for instance, if there were Queen’s students involved in the incident or if the incident took place at a Queen’s event - human rights advisors may be able to provide information, referrals, or discuss available options and/or resources.
Questions from Students:
Students registered with QSAS are not required to share information about their disability in order to have their accommodations implemented in class. If your professor is doing this, you can meet with a human rights advisor to discuss your options.
No. There is never any reason for a human rights advisor to speak with a professor without your consent. If you do not want your professor to know that you have met with a human rights advisor, the human rights advisor you meet with will respect your choice.
Questions from Employees:
No. Employers have a duty to accommodate an employee’s religious or spiritual practices to the point of undue hardship, including by providing time off for religious observances. Your supervisor should offer you options to have the time off without losing wages or using vacation time. These options might include special/compassionate paid leave, scheduling changes, overtime, use of lieu time, or compressed work week arrangements.
If you have questions about how you should approach requesting a supervisor for time off for a religious observance, you can meet with a human rights advisor.
No. There is never any reason for a human rights advisor to speak with your supervisor without your consent. If you do not want your supervisor to know that you have met with a human rights advisor, the human rights advisor you meet with will respect your choice.
Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, everyone has a right to equal treatment in employment without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family status and record of offences. If you feel that you are being treated differently based on a protected ground (one of the grounds listed above), you may be experiencing discrimination.
Much like the Human Rights Code, the Queen’s Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy prohibits discrimination. If you feel you have experienced discrimination, you can file a Complaint under the Complaint Intake and Investigation Procedure.
If you have questions about this process or want to know what other options may be available to you, you can meet with a human rights advisor.