Employment issues made up 68% of cases handled by the Human Rights Commission in 2024
More than half of the complaints and queries handled by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) last year concerned employment.
In total, the HRC received 179 intakes in 2024 – a 19 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, Tinee Furbert, laid the Commission’s annual report before the House of Assembly this morning.
In her statement she said, “The Commission observed significant increases in intakes that appeared to contravene the Act, with a higher volume of matters advancing through the complaint handling stages in contrast to previous years.”
According to the HRC, disability, sex, and ethnic/national origins were the most commonly reported grounds of discrimination.
Meanwhile, 68% of the overall intakes concerned employment and/or the workplace.
Minister Furbert told parliamentarians that the employment-related complaints recorded included, “… various individuals reporting that they were sexually harassed within the workplace, were denied employment because of a criminal record, were terminated because of their family status and experienced discriminatory treatment with respect to pay because of their place of origin and/or ethnic or national origins.”
Of all complaints and queries received last year, 84 per cent have been resolved, while 16 per cent remain ongoing.
The Minister’s full statement is available below.
