How to File a Complaint

Getting Started

What the Commission needs to know
  • The specific ground(s) of discrimination
  • A description of what happened
  • The negative effect the act had on you
  • Your thoughts about how you think this matter could best be resolved
What you need to know
  • You must file a complaint within one year of the incident
  • You can contact our office by mail, telephone, or email to explain your situation to an intake consultant
  • In person, face-to-face, meetings are by appointment only
  • You can file a complaint on behalf of others as long as you have their consent
  • There is no fee for filing a complaint
  • You do not need to hire a lawyer. However, should you hire a lawyer or decide to obtain legal help, you are responsible for paying for it
  • The Commission is impartial and unbiased. It does not take your side nor the respondent’s.
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code

protects your right to equality without discrimination based on any of the protected grounds outlined in by the Code.

It is against the law for someone to discriminate against you based on any protected characteristic in contracts, education, employment, housing, professional trades and associations, publications, purchase of property, occupations, trade unions or public services.

Making a Complaint

If you think someone has discriminated against you, there are several

When you contact our office, you will be directed to an intake consultant to explain your situation. You will be asked to fill out and submit an intake questionnaire. An intake consultant will then assess your inquiry and let you know if we can proceed.

You will be asked to sign a complaint form if:
  • the discrimination is based on any of the reasons listed above,
  • your complaint involves an activity covered by the Code, and
  • there is reason to believe the discrimination occurred.
Your complaint is official once you sign the complaint form.

What happens next?

The Code allows the Commission to tailor its process to the needs of each case. As the person making the complaint, you are the complainant.

Once we receive your signed complaint, we will contact the other party (the respondent), to hear their side of the story. We may then try to resolve the complaint through pre-complaint resolution, through mediation, by investigating the complaint, or by sending it to a hearing.

The Commission can defer action if the Chief Commissioner believes an alternative process, such as a union grievance, would be more appropriate. You are also entitled to withdraw your complaint at any time.

How you can help

  • Keep notes and records of what happened
  • Prepare a list of witnesses you think we should interview, including addresses and telephone numbers if possible
  • Keep in touch with the Commission staff once your complaint has been formalized
  • Inform us of any changes to your address or phone number