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© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Justice, 2024.
Catalogue No.: HR2-7E-PDF
ISSN: 2561-1240
From the Interim Chief Commissioner
Interim Chief Commissioner
It is a privilege to present this 2023–2024 Departmental Results Report, as Interim Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
It has been an honour to serve in this role for the past nearly two years. In that time, I have been inspired and motivated by the work our small but dedicated teams are carrying out every single day, to protect and promote human rights for people in Canada. They bring their diverse expertise and lived experiences to every facet of our work and I am fortunate to learn from them every day.
This past fiscal year has been both challenging and motivating. Complex human rights issues are top of mind for so many, and have informed our priorities at the Commission. These issues include: the sharp rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism-fuelled hate, the serious barriers to housing that people with disabilities continue to face, and the impact of systemic
racism — including environmental racism — on the lives of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized people.
In our role as an advocate, as a complaints screening body, as an auditor, as well as being home to regulatory and advocacy functions in accessibility, pay equity, housing and on disability rights, we have continued to put these priority issues of inequality and systemic inequity front and centre.
Since the introduction of new mandates pursuant to the National Housing Strategy Act, the Pay Equity Act, and the Accessible Canada Act, and with our long-standing responsibilities under the Canadian Human Rights Act and Employment Equity Act, we wear many hats. And, over the course of the past year, we have seen the importance of each of the mandates reflected in the attention placed on the issues they are designed to address — here in Canada and on the International Stage.
As we juggle these responsibilities with limited financial and human resources that have forced us to make difficult decisions, we have also been preparing for the possibility of another set of responsibilities coming to the Commission under the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63). Whether or not this bill comes into force, we remain steadfast in our commitment to speaking out against all forms of hate in Canada.
Equally, we remain steadfast in our commitment to meaningfully address systemic racism, including anti-Black racism.
Throughout 2023, we strengthened our commitment to doing this work both within our own organization and in all the ways we serve the public. We have appointed a Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Anti-Racism who is responsible for leading the implementation and evolution of the Commission's Anti-Racism Action Plan and Accessibility Plan. Most recently, we have submitted our detailed 2023–2024 update to the Clerk of the Privy Council on our efforts to implement the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service. In it, we document the concrete actions we are taking to recruit and promote Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees, to foster greater inclusion within our organization, and to measure progress towards our goals.
Added to all this, we facilitated a series of significant settlements in 2023–2024 in cases involving systemic racism. In addition, we have instituted a trauma-informed approach across our complaints processing and put measures in place to implement recommendations from Justice Arbour to process complaints from members of the Canadian Armed Forces experiencing sexual harassment or discrimination. They can now choose to bring their complaint directly to the Commission.
And as in recent years, throughout this past fiscal, our staff continued to support the important work of the Pay Equity Commissioner, the Accessibility Commissioner, and the Federal Housing Advocate. It all matters more than ever. It is all part of the ongoing national conversation.
Whether in our international role in holding Canada to account on various human rights treaties, or in receiving and assessing federal complaints under the Canadian Human Rights Act, or in advocating on a range of human rights issues that have disproportionate effects on Indigenous, Black and other racialized individuals, people with disabilities, and people identifying as 2SLGBTQQIA+, the Commission continues to work together to maximize our resources and help drive real change across Canada.
The results described in this Report would not be possible without the unsung work going on behind the scenes from our colleagues providing enabling services. Together, with common purpose, they are each doing their own part in helping bring about real, systemic change in the lives of people in Canada.
I feel both humbled and honoured to be working alongside the diverse team of employees at the Commission. Their passion and dedication to driving change across Canada fill me with confidence and motivation for the year ahead.
Charlotte-Anne Malischewski
Interim Chief Commissioner
Results – what we achieved
Core responsibilities and internal services
- Core responsibility 1: Engagement and Advocacy
- Core responsibility 2: Complaints
- Core responsibility 3: Proactive Compliance
- Internal services
Core responsibility 1: Engagement and Advocacy
In this section
Description
Provide a national credible voice for equality in Canada by raising public awareness of human rights issues; engaging civil society, governments, employers and the public to affect human rights change; and monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Government of Canada's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the Commission performed to achieve results and meet targets for Engagement & Advocacy. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 1: Targets and results for Engagement & Advocacy
Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Engagement & Advocacy.
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain A-status accreditation as Canada's national human rights institution | A-status | March 2024 |
|
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| # of Canadians who have been informed about the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Employment Equity Act, the Pay Equity Act, and the Accessible Canada Act | At least 3.6 million | March 2024 | 2.0 million |
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| # of interventions in the public interest before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Courts | At least 250 | March 2024 | 290 |
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Commission's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Details on results
The following section describes the results for Engagement & Advocacy in 2023–2024 compared with the planned results set out in the Commission's departmental plan for the year.
Full compliance with the Paris Principles
Results achieved
- The Commission has been accredited “A-status” by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, first in 1999 and again in 2006, 2011, 2016, and finally in 2023.
People in Canada are informed of their rights and responsibilities
Results achieved
In 2023–2024, the Commission:
- worked with program areas across our organization to engage with rights holders via our social media platforms as well as with engagement activities;
- produced several public statements and promotional messaging via social media platforms;
- launched a 2023 Pride social media campaign and issued statements supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth;
- held annual stakeholder meetings with the Advocacy and Respondent communities to present an overview of the human rights complaints process and update on improvement projects;
- completed a joint research and policy initiative with the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC), in collaboration with the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate (OFHA), which studied barriers to the right to housing affecting Indigenous Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people and communities in Canada; and
- pursued the implementation of an integrated engagement strategy in the context of the Commission's role as Canada's national human rights institution, and in its important role to support the regulatory activities of the Pay Equity and Accessibility Commissioners, including through communications strategies.
In 2023–2024, the Pay Equity Commissioner, supported by the Office of the Pay Equity Commissioner (OPEC):
- engaged with provincial and international counterparts to understand the gender wage gap from an intersectional perspective;
- shared two newsletters to many stakeholders, covering several topics such as employer obligations, imminent deadlines, and new publications; and
- met with stakeholders within the federal jurisdiction to learn about their challenges and to share promising practices in implementing pay equity.
In 2023–2024, the Accessibility Commissioner, supported by the Office of the Accessibility Commissioner (OAC):
- created a video on developing accessibility plans;
- conducted outreach activities to raise awareness, build relationships and gather input from key public and private sector stakeholders on the Accessibility Commissioner's compliance promotion and enforcement program;
- met on a quarterly basis with the Chief Accessibility Officer, the Chief Executive Officer of Accessibility Standards Canada, and other departments and agencies with responsibilities under the Accessible Canada Act to discuss potential barriers or challenges and share best practices to foster an accessible Canada; and
- met with Accessibility Standards Canada to exchange ideas on the development of standards to address gaps in regulations and barriers created by intersecting factors.
In 2023–2024, the Federal Housing Advocate, supported by the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate (OFHA):
- co-hosted an online event, on National Housing Day, with the National Right to Housing Network, exploring human rights-based solutions to housing supply;
- engaged in over 400 media appearances across television, radio, and print, strengthening collaborations and partnerships with stakeholders and community organizations;
- participated in the development and publication of the Joint Monitoring Framework on the Right to Adequate Housing for People with Disabilities, including supporting documents, as part of the Commission's role as the National Monitoring Mechanism of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD); and
- ensured housing rights concerns were included in UN advocacy efforts, including by meeting with the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery to discuss housing issues affecting people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, Indigenous people, and those experiencing homelessness; voicing our concerns on encampments and Indigenous housing to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and making a submission to the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing, highlighting the housing situation of older people.
CHRC interventions influence law and support the advancement of human rights, employment equity, and accessibility
Results achieved
In 2023–2024, the Commission:
- called for Parliament to enshrine the ground of social condition to the Canadian Human Rights Act; and
- issued an updated statement in response to parliamentary developments and concerns from disability stakeholders, regarding medical assistance in dying.
Key risks
In 2023–2024:
- Given the sectoral approach of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), there might have been a high degree of confusion among the public regarding where to bring their accessibility-related complaints.
- To mitigate this risk, the OAC and the Accessibility Commissioner engaged in quarterly meetings with key accessibility agencies, collaborated with the Canadian Transport Agency on interdepartmental procedures for accessibility complaints based on the No Wrong Door (NWD) principle, developed supplementary guidance and clear information for partners and Service Canada staff, and facilitated NWD working group meetings to exchange best practices and assess procedure efficiency.
- There was a risk that a lack of public understanding of the Federal Housing Advocate's (FHA) functions and duties could create false expectations about the FHA's role and powers.
- To address this challenge, the FHA engaged with key stakeholders to help broaden the understanding of this mandate. Through the FHA's communication and engagement strategy, the FHA collaborated and partnered with key stakeholders, civil society, service providers, academics, and people with lived experience of homelessness and housing precarity.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 2 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Spending | $5,808,799 | $7,373,685 |
| Full-time equivalents | 36 | 40 |
Complete financial and human resources information for the Commission's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Related government-wide priorities
Gender-based analysis plus
As a centre of human rights knowledge and policy development, the Commission is called upon regularly to provide human rights expertise on proposed federal laws, initiatives and policies. Our positions on pressing and emerging human rights issues are informed through consultations with stakeholders and people with lived experience, our complaints and case law, and in-depth research and analysis.
In 2023–2024, our policy and research work continued to be driven by the human rights issues facing marginalized groups.
- As an example, in the suite of resources developed for federally regulated employers on preventing and addressing workplace harassment, as well as supporting workplace accommodation, the tools highlight the importance for federally regulated employers to take a human rights approach and consider how workers' full selves will impact their needs and solutions.
Program inventory
Engagement & Advocacy is supported by the following programs:
- Promotion Program
Additional information related to the program inventory for Engagement & Advocacy is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.
Core responsibility 2: Complaints
In this section
Description
Provide people in Canada with a mechanism to file and resolve complaints under the Canadian Human Rights Act, Pay Equity Act, and Accessible Canada Act and to represent the public interest in achieving equality in Canada.
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the Commission performed to achieve results and meet targets for Complaints. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 3: Targets and results for Complaints
Table 3 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Complaints.
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of complaints completed by the Commission | At least 90% | March 2024 |
|
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediation settlement rate | At least 55% | March 2024 |
|
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Commission's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Details on results
The following section describes the results for Complaints in 2023–2024 compared with the planned results set out in the Commission's departmental plan for the year.
People in Canada have access to a complaint system for human rights, pay equity, and accessibility complaints
Results achieved
In 2023–2024, the Commission, under the mandate of the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA):
- continued modernizing the CHRA complaint process to implement a simpler, more effective and sustainable process, informed by the needs of the people we serve by:
- expediting human rights complaints processing by developing and improving different accelerated processes and expanding their use to move human rights complaints through the process more efficiently and in a timely manner;
- increasing the use of administrative conciliation to augment the number of files dealt with by Mediation Services, since mediation and conciliation are the quickest means of accessing remedies and resolving individual, systemic, and policy-based forms of discrimination;
- implementing comprehensive guidelines to prioritize urgent and sensitive complaints, to ensure expedited processing times for our most vulnerable rights holders, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and other racialized rights holders. This approach aims to dismantle potential barriers in our human rights complaints process for these rights holders and support the reduction of our inventory; and
- making progress towards the introduction of a new Case Management System (CMS) to process and track human rights complaints.
In 2023–2024, the Office of the Pay Equity Commissioner (OPEC), under the mandate of the Pay Equity Act (PEA):
- developed and finalized internal processes for resolving pay equity complaints, disputes, and notices of objection, including streamlined procedures for early resolution, mediation, investigations, and dismissals, with a view to provide timely access to justice, efficiently address workplace issues, and promote fairness, efficiency, and collaboration, thereby reducing administrative burdens for all parties.
In 2023–2024, the Office of the Accessibility Commissioner (OAC), under the mandate of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA):
- finalized user-friendly and accessible key draft products for the public, detailing the accessibility complaints process, including Complaint Rules of Procedure, various complaint and response forms, and reply forms for various parties;
- created an Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Framework to support the Accessibility Commissioner, with ongoing development of mediation and review products; and
- addressed 276 inquiries from organizations about the Accessible Canada Act and its requirements.
Complaints are resolved consistent with private and public interests
Results achieved
In cases where the issue is likely to affect the rights of many people in Canada, or to help define or clarify human rights law, the Commission's legal team participates in hearings and represents the public interest.
In 2023–2024, the Commission:
- provided written submissions to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (Tribunal) and participated in motions and hearings, many of which involved complainants in vulnerable circumstances, to maximize the Commission's impact before the Tribunal;
- partially participated in cases at the Tribunal. The decision on our participation level is based on public interest criteria, including whether the litigation will help to develop anti-racism case law at the federal level. Even in cases with partial participation, our involvement is nevertheless significant; and
- contributed to the resolution of complaints by participating in 254 cases at the Tribunal, including full participation in 120 of those cases, of which 75 cases involved human rights complaints based on one or more of the grounds of race, colour, and national or ethnic origin, many of which dealt with anti-Black racism. Full participation means that the Commission was involved in all the stages of a Tribunal matter including any mediations, case management proceedings, motions, and hearings.
Key risks
There was a risk that the innovation strategies necessary to reduce the accumulated caseload of complaints might not bring about the expected results, and that the Commission might not be resourced to appropriately hire the required staffing levels to meet the needs of people in Canada.
To mitigate this risk in 2023–2024, the Commission implemented the following measures:
- strategic inventory management: we developed projects for consistent workload scheduling and streamlined operations to improve file flow and case management; and
- mediation and conciliation services: we prioritized mediation and conciliation, appointed new mediation staff, and enhanced scheduling and coordination efforts.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 4 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Spending | $11,812,770 | $13,706,079 |
| Full-time equivalents | 95 | 97 |
Complete financial and human resources information for the Commission's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Related government-wide priorities
Innovation
As part of our integrated data collection strategy, the Commission launched an automated Demographic Data survey to all complainants who submit a complaint under the Canadian Human Rights Act using the online complaint form on our website. This project plays an integral role in our data strategy and is helping us learn more about who is using our complaint process and how we might better serve them. In future years, we will combine this data with responses collected via other channels such as email and paper-based complaints.
Furthermore, through the Data Linkage project, a collaborative project with other human rights bodies across Canada, the Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Statistics Canada, which enabled the secure sharing of data. This collaboration provided a comprehensive assessment of our administrative data holdings and offered critical insights into how we can enhance our data collection processes. By identifying key areas for improvement, such as the need for additional unique identifiers, the project set the groundwork for future data integration efforts, which will support more accurate demographic reporting and a deeper understanding of our service population, supporting the Commission's goal of being a barrier-free human rights complaint process.
Finally, the Commission provided extensive training on handling race-based human rights complaints (including those alleging anti-Black racism) to all employees working with complaints. These trainings, designed by anti-racism and anti-oppression experts, provided employees with the tools and knowledge on how to identify subtle forms of racism and apply a trauma-informed approach in handling complaints.
Program inventory
Complaints is supported by the following programs:
- Protection Program
Additional information related to the program inventory for Complaints is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.
Core responsibility 3: Proactive Compliance
In this section
Description
Ensure federally regulated organizations comply with the requirements set out in the Employment Equity Act, Pay Equity Act, and the Accessible Canada Act and hold those who do not comply accountable.
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the Commission performed to achieve results and meet targets for Proactive Compliance. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 5: Targets and results for Proactive Compliance
Table 5 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Proactive Compliance.
Note: All departmental results for Proactive Compliance are new as of 2023–2024. Results are not available for preceding years.
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| # of employment equity goal setting reports validated for conventional and horizontal audits | At least 15 | March 2024 | 17 |
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of stakeholder feedback indicating satisfaction with support and guidance provided | At least 70% | March 2024 | 83% |
| Departmental Result Indicators | Target | Date to achieve target | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of regulated entities that are using My Accessibility Portal | At least 80% | March 2024 | 84.5% |
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Commission's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Details on results
The following section describes the results for Proactive Compliance in 2023–2024 compared with the planned results set out in the Commission's departmental plan for the year.
Employers are fostering a work environment that promotes equality of opportunities
Results achieved
In 2023–2024, the Commission's Employment Equity Compliance Division continued its strategic use of compliance audits and related tools, such as audit reports and letters of undertakings, to foster a work environment that complies with the legislative requirements of the Employment Equity Act in federally regulated workplaces. The division:
- concluded the audits of several private sector employers in the communications industry, as well as federal departments and agencies within the public service. These audits targeted systemic barriers faced by people with disabilities and racialized people, respectively;
- executed successfully a pilot blitz audit focusing on the self-identification surveys and workforce representation rates of over 200 small employers. This initiative resulted in detailed individual audit reports for each entity, featuring recommendations and actionable remedial measures;
- initiated the horizontal audit of employers in the ground transportation sector on the representation of racialized people; and
- launched a new horizontal audit on the employment of women in management in the air transportation sector.
Workplace parties have the tools and support to implement the pay equity plan process
Results achieved
In 2023–2024, the Pay Equity Commissioner, supported by the Office of the Pay Equity Commissioner (OPEC):
- launched the Pay Equity Portal, a direct channel to send questions to the OPEC, receive information about the Pay Equity Act, submit authorization request, and inform the OPEC about matters in disputes, objections and complaints;
- received a total of 401 requests for information about the Pay Equity Act; and
- conducted outreach activities with members of the Pay Equity Tri-Partite Working Group for the purpose of seeking input on pay equity resources and tools. The working group contributed to the development of resources about compensation that are now available on the OPEC website. Their input helped ensure that these resources meet the diverse needs of workplaces in the federal sphere and are accessible and shared widely among workplace parties.
Regulated entities have published accessibility plans, feedback mechanism and progress report
Results achieved
In 2023–2024, the Accessibility Commissioner, supported by the Office of the Accessibility Commissioner (OAC):
- implemented a risk-based approach aligned with international best practices to verify compliance with the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and its regulations, emphasizing accessibility plans, feedback processes, and progress reports, and taking graduated and proportionate enforcement actions, when necessary, supported by an enforcement strategy, standard operating procedures, and enforcement action templates developed by the OAC;
- developed key elements of the accessibility complaints process through a “lean” lens to ensure the process is easy to use and effective for members of the public and rights holders (intake/filing, accessible forms and templates);
- identified business requirements to develop innovative systems and tools to support the accessibility complaints process, such as the ACA Case Management System (CMS), and accessible complaint, response and reply forms (to be developed and published in HTML);
- began initial work with regard to seeking feedback from the public on the various products for dealing with accessibility complaints; and
- enhanced the process for receiving and responding to inquiries from federally regulated entities, the public, and complainants to improve efficiency and ensure timely responses, including the creation of a repository for questions and answers, updated scripts for the call centre to inform responses, and enhancements to our inquiry log/database for improved monitoring and reporting.
Key risks
There is a risk that the lack of cooperation between the multiple bodies responsible for ensuring compliance with the ACA could negatively affect key regulated organizations, disability stakeholders, and potential accessibility complainants.
To mitigate this risk, the Accessibility Commissioner and the OAC collaborated regularly with the Chief Accessibility Officer, Accessibility Standards Canada, and other government organizations responsible for the implementation of the ACA such as the Canadian Transportation Agency, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and Employment and Social Development Canada. They met quarterly and on an ad hoc basis to discuss current and emerging issues and intersecting factors, and to share best practices to foster an inclusive and accessible environment for all.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 6 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Spending | $11,365,153 | $8,627,466 |
| Full-time equivalents | 63 | 55 |
Complete financial and human resources information for the Commission's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Related government-wide priorities
Gender-based analysis plus
Each employment equity horizontal audit includes a gender-based lens to better understand the situation and experiences of women across designated groups.
Innovation
In 2023–2024, the OPEC launched the Pay Equity Portal, a direct channel to send questions to the OPEC, receive information about the Pay Equity Act, submit authorization requests, and inform the OPEC about matters in disputes, objections and complaints.
In 2023–2024, the OAC launched a web-based wizard to guide users to the correct accessibility complaints process, providing key information on filing criteria, the ACA, and links to partner organizations.
Additionally, the OAC created My Accessibility Portal for efficient communication with regulated entities, confirming receipt of notifications for accessibility plans and reports, and initiated enhancements for compliance and enforcement activities.
Program inventory
Proactive Compliance is supported by the following programs:
- Audit Program
Additional information related to the program inventory for Proactive Compliance is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.
Internal services
In this section
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- management and oversight services
- communications services
- legal services
- human resources management services
- financial management services
- information management services
- information technology services
- real property management services
- materiel management services
- acquisition management services
Progress on results
This section presents details on how the Commission performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.
This past year put high demands on the Commission's internal services. The support the Commission provides to the Office of the Pay Equity Commissioner, the Office of the Accessibility Commissioner and the Office of the Federal Housing Advocate, as well as new responsibilities for program delivery, continue to create pressures on internal services.
The Commission faced challenges in meeting the needs of its program areas for modern digital service delivery. Our work on the development of case management modules to meet the demand of our various programs continued in 2023–2024 and will continue over the next fiscal years. Once implemented, this system will support the Commission's efforts to improve access to human rights justice for people in Canada and enable digital service delivery through technology.
Despite these challenges, in 2023–2024, the Commission successfully launched the Pay Equity Case Management System and brought the accessibility inspection database and the Legal Case Management System (Amicus) to where user acceptance testing could begin.
Much of the planning work for the new Complaints Case Management System to replace the legacy system was also completed in 2023–2024.
Resources required to achieve results
Table 7 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.
| Resource | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Spending | $10,755,953 | $15,171,244 |
| Full-time equivalents | 101 | 107 |
Complete financial and human resources information for the Commission's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024–2025.
The Commission's result for 2023–2024:
As shown in the Table 8, the Commission awarded 11.85% of the total value of all contracts to Indigenous businesses for the fiscal year.
| Contracting performance indicators | 2023–2024 Results |
|---|---|
| Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businessesTablenote 2 (A) | $720,706.53 |
| Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous and non‑Indigenous businessesTablenote 3 (B) | $6,081,772.37 |
| Value of exceptions approved by deputy head (C) | $0.00 |
| Proportion of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses [A / (B−C) × 100] | 11.85% |
Key results for the contracting performance indicators for 2023–2024 with a focus on Indigenous businesses include:
- total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses: $720,706.53;
- total value of contracts awarded to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses: $6,081,772.37;
- no exceptions approved by the deputy head; and
- proportion of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses: 11.85%.
To achieve this result, the Commission has:
- competed an Indigenous set aside task-based informatics professional services process and awarded the resulting contract to an Indigenous business;
- Throughout the year, we have issued multiple Task Authorizations against this contract.
- used Indigenous resellers from the Standing offer when buying IT hardware via Shared Services Canada's IT Procurement function;
- searched through the Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements Application and found Indigenous suppliers capable of providing Network Software licenses and maintenance; and
- used Indigenous resellers from the Furniture Supply arrangement for buying furniture.
In its 2024–2025 Departmental Plan, the Commission forecasted that, by the end of 2023–2024, we would award 12% of the total value of our contracts to Indigenous businesses.
The Commission monitors its progress through the year using a new module in our financial management system, developed specifically to respond to this new need, and ensures we remain on target.
Most of the Commission's procurement is done through Public Services and Procurement Canada tools which always include Indigenous streams and of which we make use when needed.
Finally, the Commission has exceeded the minimum 5% for the last 3 years and has not identified any capacity gasps. To continue achieving our targets, the Commission will continue to engage early with the business owners (client) in procurement planning and assess opportunities for Indigenous participation.
Spending and human resources
In this section
Spending
This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned expenditures from 2021–2022 to 2026–2027.
Budgetary performance summary
Table 9 presents how much money the Commission spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2023–2024 Main Estimates | 2023–2024 total authorities available for use | Actual spending over three years (authorities used) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement & Advocacy | $5,655,587 | $9,619,439 |
|
| Complaints | $11,072,266 | $14,210,765 |
|
| Proactive Compliance | $11,327,423 | $7,776,543 |
|
| Subtotal | $28,055,276 | $31,606,747 | $81,778,821 |
| Internal services | $9,700,337 | $14,645,361 |
|
| Total | $37,755,613 | $46,252,108 | $120,008,495 |
Analysis of the past three years of spending
Over the past three years, spending at the Commission on all core responsibilities has been steadily increasing. The only decrease in the past three years was on Complaints Services spending in 2022–2023, which declined due to employee turnover and recovered in 2023–2024 as replacements were hired.
The largest increase in spending over the past three years was in 2023–2024 when actual net spending increased to $44.9 million in 2023–2024 ($47 million less $2.1 million in vote-netted revenue) from $39.3 million in 2022–2023 ($41.4 million less $2 million in vote-netted revenue). This particular increase is due to increased authorities received for 2023–2024, of which $2 million was reprofiled from 2022–2023 for the Federal Housing Advocate, and over $3.3 million was related to recently signed collective bargaining agreements. Other increases in actual spending for the year relate to significant investments to modernize the Commission's case management system and information technology equipment, which contributed significantly to the higher internal services costs for the year.
More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Table 10 presents how much money the Commission plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2024–2025 planned spending | 2025–2026 planned spending | 2026–2027 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement & Advocacy | $4,928,351 | $4,697,575 | $4,696,858 |
| Complaints | $13,248,610 | $12,385,138 | $12,383,213 |
| Proactive Compliance | $9,017,399 | $8,439,621 | $8,438,310 |
| Subtotal | $27,194,360 | $25,522,334 | $25,518,381 |
| Internal services | $10,562,770 | $11,544,548 | $11,580,121 |
| Total | $37,757,130 | $37,066,882 | $37,098,502 |
Analysis of the next three years of spending
Over the next three years, the Commission is expecting only minor changes to its funding levels. Temporary funding of $845,000 for the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act will end in 2025–2026, so planned spending on Proactive Compliance has been reduced accordingly. There are no significant changes in funding levels or planned spending for the Commission from 2025–2026 to 2026–2027.
More detailed financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Table 11 reconciles gross planned spending with net spending for 2023–2024.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2023–2024 actual gross spending | 2023–2024 actual revenues netted against expenditures | 2023–2024 actual net spending (authorities used) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement & Advocacy | $7,373,685 | $0 | $7,373,685 |
| Complaints | $13,706,079 | $0 | $13,706,079 |
| Proactive Compliance | $8,627,466 | $0 | $8,627,466 |
| Subtotal | $29,707,230 | $0 | $29,707,230 |
| Internal services | $17,275,691 | -$2,104,448 | $15,171,244 |
| Total | $46,982,921 | -$2,104,448 | $44,878,473 |
Analysis of budgetary actual gross and net planned spending summary
The Commission provides internal support services to certain other small government departments and agencies such as finance, human resources, acquisition and information technology services. These internal support services agreements are recorded as revenues as per section 29.2 of the Financial Administration Act.
Information on the alignment of the Commission's spending with Government of Canada's spending and activities is available on GC InfoBase.
Funding
This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.
Graph 1 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2021–2022 to 2026–2027.
Text description of graph 1
| Fiscal year | Total | Voted | Statutory |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | $35,787,000 | $31,955,000 | $3,832,000 |
| 2022-2023 | $39,343,000 | $35,081,000 | $4,262,000 |
| 2023-2024 | $44,878,000 | $39,897,000 | $4,981,000 |
| 2024-2025 | $37,757,000 | $33,452,000 | $4,305,000 |
| 2025-2026 | $37,067,000 | $32,762,000 | $4,305,000 |
| 2026-2027 | $37,099,000 | $32,790,000 | $4,309,000 |
Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period
Overall, the breakdown between voted and statutory funding for the Commission does not tend to change with the notable exception of 2023–2024. In that year, the Commission had significantly higher temporary funding than usual. Some of those temporary funds were used to increase personnel on a temporary basis to support the Commission's programs, and the use of those temporary funds for salary increased the proportion of statutory funding used by the Commission to pay for higher employee benefit plan costs. Since the Commission's funding levels decline significantly after 2023–2024 until stabilizing in 2025–2026, the ratio of statutory to voted funding for the Commission is expected to revert to the historical average since there will be no excess temporary funds to spend on increased personnel.
For further information on the Commission's departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.
Financial statement highlights
The Commission's complete financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.
Table 12 summarizes the expenses and revenues for 2023–2024 which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
| Financial information | 2023–2024 actual results | 2023–2024 planned results | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses | $51,988,716 | $46,526,534 | $5,462,182 |
| Total revenues | -$2,105,373 | -$2,080,000 | -$25,373 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | $49,883,343 | $44,446,534 | $5,436,809 |
The 2023–2024 planned results information is provided in the Commission's Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–2024.
| Financial information | 2023–2024 actual results | 2022–2023 actual results | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses | $51,988,716 | $45,856,967 | $6,131,749 |
| Total revenues | -$2,105,373 | -$2,040,114 | -$65,259 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | $49,883,343 | $43,816,853 | $6,066,490 |
Table 13 provides a brief snapshot of the department's liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.
| Financial information | Actual fiscal year (2023–2024) | Previous fiscal year (2022–2023) | Difference (2023–2024 minus 2022–2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total net liabilities | $7,325,590 | $7,264,153 | $61,437 |
| Total net financial assets | $4,636,767 | $4,563,883 | $72,884 |
| Departmental net debt | $2,688,823 | $2,700,270 | -$11,447 |
| Total non-financial assets | $2,580,544 | $2,630,394 | -$49,850 |
| Departmental net financial position | -$108,279 | -$69,876 | -$38,403 |
Human resources
This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned human resources from 2021–2022 to 2026–2027.
Table 14 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the Commission's core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2021–2022 actual FTEs | 2022–2023 actual FTEs | 2023–2024 actual FTEs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement & Advocacy | 35 | 39 | 40 |
| Complaints | 91 | 94 | 97 |
| Proactive Compliance | 53 | 57 | 55 |
| Subtotal | 179 | 190 | 192 |
| Internal services | 99 | 98 | 107 |
| Total | 278 | 288 | 299 |
Analysis of human resources over the last three years
The number of FTEs has increased gradually over the past three fiscal years at the Commission until reaching a peak in 2023–2024. The reason for the increase is due to the implementation of the Commission's more recent mandates.
Table 15 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the Commission's core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2024–2025 planned FTEs | 2025–2026 planned FTEs | 2026–2027 planned FTEs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement & Advocacy | 31 | 30 | 29 |
| Complaints | 91 | 89 | 88 |
| Proactive Compliance | 60 | 58 | 57 |
| Subtotal | 181 | 176 | 174 |
| Internal services | 99 | 97 | 96 |
| Total | 280 | 273 | 270 |
Analysis of human resources for the next three years
In 2024–2025, the Commission's funding for the Federal Housing Advocate and the National Monitoring Mechanism declined significantly, which led to reduced forecasts for FTEs that supported those programs. FTE levels for the Commission's other mandates remain relatively unchanged.
Corporate information
Departmental profile
Appropriate minister:
The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P.
Institutional head:
(Interim Chief Commissioner) Deputy Chief Commissioner Charlotte-Anne Malischewski
Ministerial portfolio:
Justice
Enabling instruments: Canadian Human Rights Act and the Employment Equity Act
Labour and Seniors
Enabling instrument: Pay Equity Act
Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Enabling instrument: Accessible Canada Act
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Enabling instrument: National Housing Strategy Act
Year of incorporation / commencement:
1977
Departmental contact information
Mailing address:
Canadian Human Rights Commission
344 Slater Street, 8th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1E1
Telephone:
613-995-1151
Toll Free: 1-888-214-1090
TTY:
1-888-643-3304
Fax:
613-996-9661
Website(s):
Twitter: @CdnHumanRights
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CanadianHumanRightsCommission
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on the Commission's website:
Federal tax expenditures
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals, and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information, and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.
Definitions
List of terms
appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental priority (priorité)
A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.
departmental result (résultat ministériel)
A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that connects the department's core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on a department's actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
fulltime equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person's collective agreement.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
An analytical tool used to assess support the development of responsive and inclusive how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2023–2024 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government's agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative where two or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
program (programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all the department's programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department's core responsibilities and results.
result (résultat)
A consequence attributed, in part, to a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department's influence.
Indigenous business (enterprise autochtones)
For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada's commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.
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