Looking for a human rights lawyer in Victoria? If you’ve been treated unfairly at work because of your age, disability, race, religion, pregnancy or another legally protected reason, you may have a legal claim.

The employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP help employees in Victoria and across Vancouver Island fight workplace discrimination, challenge unfair dismissal and get the compensation they’re owed.

⚠️ Fired or facing discrimination? Before you resign, accept a severance offer or sign anything, find out whether your employer has violated your rights and what compensation you could receive.

➡️ Get a Consultation or call 1-855-821-5900.

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How Our Victoria Human Rights Lawyers Help Employees

You have the right to work without unlawful discrimination. If your employer has violated that right, we can help.

Our BC employment lawyers assist employees who have been:

  • Discriminated against: Treated unfairly because of disability, age, race, religion, pregnancy or another protected reason.
  • Denied accommodation: Refused reasonable changes needed because of a disability or another protected need.
  • Harassed: Targeted because of a protected personal characteristic.
  • Punished for speaking up: Threatened, disciplined or dismissed for making or supporting a human rights complaint.
  • Fired unfairly: Dismissed for a discriminatory reason or without proper severance.

We can assess your case, explain your options and help you pursue compensation through negotiation or legal proceedings.

Are Your Human Rights Being Violated at Work?

BC’s Human Rights Code protects employees from discrimination in hiring, pay, promotions, working conditions and dismissal.

Common examples include:

Disability Discrimination

Your employer refuses reasonable medical accommodations, disciplines you for disability-related absences or fires you because of a medical condition.

Employers have a duty to accommodate in BC, up to the point of undue hardship.

Discrimination Because of Age, Race or Religion

You’re denied opportunities or treated differently because of a protected personal characteristic.

Not every unfair decision is illegal discrimination. There must be a connection to a reason protected by human rights law.

Pregnancy Discrimination

Your employer cuts your hours, denies a promotion or fires you because you’re pregnant or taking maternity leave.

Harassment or Retaliation

You experience discriminatory harassment, or your employer punishes you for making or supporting a human rights complaint.

If your employer ignored signs of a disability before disciplining you, it may also have failed its duty to inquire.

Read more about workplace discrimination in BC.

Our Human Rights Lawyers Serving Victoria

Our BC employment law team assists non-unionized employees in Victoria and throughout Vancouver Island with workplace discrimination, accommodation disputes and wrongful dismissal.

Dan Balkaran

Dan Balkaran leads Samfiru Tumarkin LLP’s BC employment law practice. He represents employees in human rights matters, workplace discrimination and termination disputes.

Spencer Sloane

Spencer Sloane represents BC employees in employment and human rights disputes, including matters before the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

Our lawyers work through the firm’s Vancouver office and assist eligible employees throughout British Columbia, including Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Langford, Colwood and Sidney.

What Compensation Could You Receive?

If your employer violated your human rights, you may be entitled to compensation.

Depending on what happened, this may include:

  • Lost income: Wages and benefits lost because of discrimination.
  • Emotional harm: Compensation for the impact of discrimination, known as injury to dignity.
  • Workplace remedies: Orders to correct discriminatory treatment or reinstate an employee in appropriate cases.
  • Severance pay: Compensation you may be owed if you’ve been fired.

Were You Fired?

You may have both a human rights claim and a wrongful dismissal claim.

For eligible non-unionized employees, full severance pay in BC can reach up to 24 months’ pay, depending on factors such as age, position, length of service and the employment agreement.

Human rights compensation is separate from severance, although you can’t recover the same loss twice.

💡 What is your case worth? There is no fixed payout for workplace discrimination. Our lawyers can review your circumstances and explain the compensation you may be entitled to.

➡️ Find Out What You’re Owed.

What Should You Do if You’ve Been Discriminated Against?

  1. Write down what happened. Record dates, comments, decisions and who was involved.
  2. Save relevant evidence. Keep messages, employment documents and performance reviews you can lawfully retain.
  3. Don’t resign or sign a release without advice. You could affect your rights to compensation.
  4. Act promptly. Most BC human rights complaints must be filed within one year.
  5. Speak with an employment lawyer. Find out whether your employer violated the law and what you could be owed.

⚠️ Don’t miss your deadline. The usual deadline for a BC human rights complaint is one year from the discrimination or retaliation. Negotiating with your employer doesn’t automatically extend it.

For a broader explanation of your legal protections, see our Workplace Human Rights BC guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I contact a human rights lawyer in Victoria?

If you’ve been discriminated against at work, refused accommodation, punished for reporting discrimination or fired for a protected reason, get legal advice before making a major decision.

Can I take legal action against my employer for discrimination?

Yes. You may have grounds to file a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal. If you’ve been fired, you may also have a wrongful dismissal claim.

How long do I have to file a human rights complaint in BC?

The usual deadline is one year. Exceptions may apply to continuing discrimination and certain late complaints.

Do I need a lawyer to file a human rights complaint?

No. You can file a complaint yourself. A lawyer can help assess your claim, gather evidence and pursue an appropriate resolution.

Do your Victoria human rights lawyers help with all human rights complaints?

Our team focuses on workplace human rights matters involving employment. We don’t handle unrelated complaints involving housing or public services.

Can you help employees throughout Vancouver Island?

Yes. Our BC employment law team assists non-unionized employees in Victoria, surrounding communities and elsewhere on Vancouver Island.

Speak With a Human Rights Lawyer Serving Victoria

If you’ve been discriminated against, denied accommodation or fired because of a protected reason, don’t assume your employer’s decision is final.

The Victoria employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP can review what happened, explain your rights and help you fight for the compensation you’re owed.

We help employees in Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Langford, Colwood, Sidney and surrounding Vancouver Island communities.

Before you sign, always check first.

➡️ Get a Consultation or call 1-855-821-5900.

Advice You Need. Compensation You Deserve.

Consult with Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. We are one of Canada's most experienced and trusted employment, labour and disability law firms. Take advantage of our years of experience and success in the courtroom and at the negotiating table.

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