What steps can organizations take?

Reducing the potential for conflict

What steps can organizations take to reduce the potential for human rights conflict and competing rights?

• Be familiar with the Ontario Human Rights Code and your obligations under it
• Take steps to educate and train appropriate staff about competing human rights situations and the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy on Competing Human Rights.

Having this background knowledge will help organizations act quickly and responsibly when issues arise.

Next, develop a competing rights policy. This policy should:

• Set out the process for resolving competing rights situations
• Inform all parties about their rights, roles and responsibilities
• Commit the organization to deal with competing rights matters promptly and efficiently.

Taking these proactive steps to address competing human rights matters can help protect organizations from legal liability if a human rights complaint occurs.

For the suggested content of an internal competing human rights policy, see the OHRC Policy on competing human rights: Suggested contents of an internal policy.