Why this petition matters
Across Canada, many people contribute valuable time and work without pay — as volunteers, interns, co-op students, and trainees. These individuals often perform essential tasks that support political parties, federal agencies, national organizations, and federally regulated industries.
Yet the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) does not clearly protect unpaid workers.
If a volunteer or unpaid intern experiences harassment or discrimination in a federally regulated environment, there is no guaranteed human-rights recourse.
This petition calls on Parliament to amend the CHRA so that unpaid workers receive the same dignity, safety, and fairness already afforded to paid employees.
Where the CHRA applies
The CHRA applies exclusively to workplaces under federal jurisdiction, including:
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national political parties
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federal boards, agencies, commissions, and tribunals
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federally regulated industries (banks, telecommunications, postal services, interprovincial transport, etc.)
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the federal public service
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national organizations governed by federal law
This petition focuses on unpaid workers in federally regulated organizations.
Benefits of amending the CHRA
Updating the CHRA to explicitly include unpaid workers would:
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close the current protection gap
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ensure consistent human-rights standards for paid and unpaid contributors
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reduce the risk of harassment and discrimination
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create safer, more ethical environments across federally regulated organizations
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strengthen Canada’s overall human-rights framework
Unpaid work is valuable and often essential — it deserves clear protection.
Who can sign
This House of Commons e-petition is open to:
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Canadian citizens
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Permanent residents
Each person may sign once and must confirm their signature by email for it to count.
None of your personal information provided to the House of Commons as a signatory will be published on its website. FYI https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/Documents/TU-Signing-Petitions.pdf
Link to the Official House of Commons Petition
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-6948
**Important Note**
To sign this petition, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and you must confirm your signature by email for it to count. To sign the official House of Commons e-petition, each person must sign using their own email address (No minimum age required to sign).
Contact
petitionchraforunpaidwork@gmail.com