The Human Rights Office (HRO) is an independent and impartial office responsible for receiving and responding to complaints related to harassment and discrimination from all University community members. All our services are free, bilingual, and confidential (except in exceptional circumstances, such as when someone is at risk of harm, or we have a legal obligation to take action).
Our advisors can offer expert advice to an individual, a department or a faculty, in response to a specific situation, and can also intervene (in co-ordination with University partners). They receive and process informal and formal complaints, as well as organize and participate in information, training and awareness activities.
If you or someone you know is dealing with discrimination or harassment, please contact us at [email protected] or visit our portal to report the incident.

About Harassment and Discrimination
The Human Rights Office
What is harassment?
Harassment means engaging in a course of vexatious comments or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome. A single unwelcome incident, if serious enough, can be sufficient to support an instance of harassment.
Here are some examples of harassment:
- Intimidating or aggressive behaviour
- Using derogatory or offensive names to insult or belittle someone (name-calling)
- Insults or offensive jokes
- Repeatedly belittling or demeaning someone’s abilities, appearance or ideas in a harmful manner
- Spreading rumours
- Posting inflammatory or offensive comments online to provoke others
- Verbally threatening someone with harm, whether physical or emotional
- Physically preventing someone from leaving a space or obstructing their movement
Harassment can also include sexual harassment and unwanted touching. If you need more information or support related to sexual harassment, or to sexual or gendered-based violence, please visit our section on support for those experiencing sexual violence or contact us.
What is discrimination?
Discrimination means:
- a distinction—intentional or unintentional, direct or indirect—based on one or more of the following grounds: a person’s race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, family status, record of offences, disability, and
- that has the effect of erecting barriers or creating obligations, disadvantages or situations of unequal treatment that withhold or limit access to privileges, advantages or political, social or economic rights available to other members of society.
Here are some examples of discrimination:
- Denial of an accommodation for religious beliefs
- Failing to provide accessible accommodations in the workplace
- Exclusion from group events based on identity
- Exclusion from opportunities due to racial background
- Denial of job opportunities due to someone’s age
- Biased grading due to personal prejudices
- Assuming certain jobs are only for men or women (e.g., engineering for men, nursing for women)
- Racial profiling
- Firing or demoting an employee after they announce their pregnancy
Complaints
All complaints are handled in accordance with Policy 67a – Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (Procedure 36-1 and Procedure 36-2).
This policy applies to any University member who has experienced harassment or discrimination by another University member.
Overview of the complaint process
To find out more about the complaint process and how to file a complaint with the HRO, have a look at those steps.
We are here for you!
If you believe you have been the victim of harassment or discrimination, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss the situation and obtain more information about the options available to you.
To learn more about harassment and discrimination, please see our Learning and Development section.
Contact us
Human Rights Office
1 Stewart St.
(Main Floor – Room 121)
Ottawa, ON, Canada
K1N 6N5
Tel.: 613-562-5222
Email: [email protected]
Office hours
Monday to Friday, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.