Human Rights at Work
Section 5(1)(d) of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act says that “no person shall, in respect of employment, discriminate against an individual or class of individuals…”
In simple terms, this means the Act protects people from discrimination at work when that discrimination is connected to a protected characteristic.
Protected characteristics include:
Age
Race
Colour
Religion
Creed
Sex
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
Gender expression
Physical or mental disability
An irrational fear of contracting an illness or disease (this protects people with communicable illnesses such as HIV/AIDS)
Ethnic, national, or Aboriginal origin
Family status
Marital status
Source of income
Political beliefs, affiliation, or activity
Association with someone who has any of the characteristics listed above
Simply put, the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act protects you from being treated differently at work in a way that creates a burden, disadvantage, or unfair obligation for you because you belong to one of these protected groups.