TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Muhammad Taimoor Haseeb was the ideal candidate: top marks, student club president, mentor to fellow students and offered 4 full time jobs upon graduation. Imperial Oil offered the young man a job as Project Engineer on December 2, 2014. Imperial Oil rescinded the offer of employment on January 8, 2015 when they learned Mr. Haseeb was not eligible to work in Canada on a "permanent" basis.
"The phrase 'legally able to work in Canada on a permanent basis' appears daily in job postings across the country," said Chantal Tie, Haseeb's lawyer in Ottawa from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre. "At a time when the Canadian government is begging for skilled professionals, this bar to employment is absurd. It also constitutes discrimination, because the concept of 'permanence' is linked with citizenship and country of origin" continued Tie.
Imperial Oil does ask that all employees be eligible to work in Canada on a "permanent basis" but the inquiry stops if one provides proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence. Mr. Haseeb was born in Pakistan, but he was eligible to work legally in Canada. "I have a wonderful job now," said Haseeb "but I'm frustrated the ads are still out there barring professionals from entry to the labour market," continued Haseeb.
"Employers hire people every day who might not be "permanent" - they might get a better offer, move to another city, stay home to look after a child or any number of reasons," said Haseeb. "I am simply asking the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario to direct Imperial Oil (and, by extension, all Canadian corporations) to amend their hiring practices to remove this barrier," continued Haseeb.
Muhammad Taimoor Haseeb filed his human rights application on February 9, 2015.
A hearing before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario.
SOURCE Human Rights Legal Support Centre
Jennifer Ramsay, Human Rights Legal Support Centre 416-597-4958, Mobile: 416-522-5931
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