The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario respects and supports the public policy goals of the Ontario Human Rights Code: to recognize the dignity and worth of every person and to provide for equal rights and opportunities without discrimination that is contrary to law.

Both as a medical regulator and an employer, the College is committed to ensuring that it operates in compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. In all of its activities, the College strives to ensure not only that it respects its legal obligations, but also that it creates and fosters an environment in which the personal worth and dignity of every individual is respected.

The College seeks to achieve this goal in two ways: by striving to provide services to the public and the profession without discrimination on protected grounds , and by taking steps to accommodate individuals short of undue hardship to facilitate their ability to access the College’s services.

As a Medical Regulator

As a medical regulator, the College provides services to members of the medical profession and members of the public. In every instance, the College seeks to ensure that it respects the rights and needs of those it serves.

Since it is individuals who effectively represent the ‘face’ of the College to physicians, surgeons and members of the public, the College has taken positive steps to ensure that its staff, and other individuals who assist the College in fulfilling its duties, understand the College’s commitment to human rights, and the College’s expectation that they will comply with the Human Rights Code in every aspect of their employment or role.

These positive steps include, but are not limited to:

Developing and providing staff with training regarding the College’s internal guidelines on harassment and discrimination, which articulate the College’s expectations that staff will respect human rights and comply with the Human Rights Code;

Developing internal procedures to specifically indicate that the College’s expectations with respect to human rights apply to the investigation of complaints;

Taking steps to ensure that College facilities and materials are accessible to all individuals. These include: making the College accessible to those with mobility devices and visual impairments, and adapting the College’s website to ensure that it is accessible to individuals who have a visual impairment.

As an Employer

As an employer, the College seeks to foster a positive work environment, where all individuals are treated with respect and regarded as equals. To that end, the College is committed to treating its employees fairly, and in accordance with the requirements of the Human Rights Code. This includes adopting and maintaining employee recruitment practices that comply with the Human Rights Code, being receptive to the specific needs of its employees, and taking steps to accommodate those needs in the work environment.

Just as the College is committed to respecting the human rights of its employees, the College expects that its employees will in turn respect the human rights of their colleagues. This expectation, along with a description of the active measures the College is prepared to take should incidents of harassment or discrimination occur, are articulated in the College’s internal guidelines on harassment and discrimination.

For further information about the College’s commitment to human rights, please contact us.