Direct/Indirect

Direct discrimination

Direct discrimination happens when someone is denied an opportunity and is told directly that it is because of a ground of discrimination.  For example: 

• ABC Company tells John, a person with a disability, that ABC won’t hire him because of his disability.  ABC thinks that John can’t do the job. (Discrimination based on disability.)
• Sally, a landlord, says she will not rent to families with children. (Discrimination based on family status.)
• Marie is 55 years old.  She doesn’t get the promotion she applied for.  Her boss explains that the new job is better suited for someone who has more energy and is not so close to retirement. (Discrimination based on age.)

Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination is when someone is denied an opportunity based on a ground, but is not told the real reason.  For example:

• ABC Company tells John, the applicant with a disability, that they found someone who was better qualified than John.
• Sally, a landlord, tells a family that the apartment is already rented.  The family asks a friend to call Sally about the apartment.  Sally tells the friend that the apartment is still available.
• Marie’s boss tells Marie that she did not get the promotion because they were looking for someone with different skills.  The boss explains that the person they promoted had more “leadership” skills and showed more “initiative”.  Marie disagrees because she has more experience and education than the person who got promoted.

→ For more information about the types of discrimination covered by the NWT Human Rights Act, visit Areas & Grounds.

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