Report exploitation or file a complaint of exploitation
Exploitation affects elderly people and people with a disability. These people are considered vulnerable. Vulnerable means being unable to protect one’s self or property. Vulnerable people generally rely on other people (physically, financially, emotionally or psychologically) to do this for them.
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Can we accept your complaint or report ?
Yes, we can help
- If you are an elderly person or a person with a disability and you believe that you are experiencing exploitation
OR
- If you want to report the exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability
AND the situation involves:
- financial abuse
OR
- psychological or physical abuse
No, we cannot help
- If your situation involves physical abuse or violence
For physical or sexual abuse, contact:
- your local police department
- the Mistreatment Helpline: 1 888-489-2287
If you feel that your working conditions constitute exploitation:
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File a complaint of discrimination with the Commission or consult the CNESST (French only).
- If you experience discrimination or harassment on the basis of your age (ageism), your disability, or your use of a means to palliate a disability (such as a wheelchair):
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This is not exploitation, it is discrimination. You can file a complaint of discrimination with the Commission.
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File a complaint or submit a report
Who can file a complaint or submit a report?
- An elderly person or a person with a disability who believes that they are experiencing exploitation
- Anyone who has reason to believe that an elderly person or a person with a disability is experiencing exploitation
You may report exploitation to the Commission even if you are unable to obtain the consent of the person you believe to be the victim. Note that the Commission respects the autonomy of the elderly person or the person with a disability. We therefore consider the victim’s wishes above all, where the situation permits. When should I file a complaint or submit a report?
- You have up to 3 years afterbecoming aware of a situation to report it or file a complaint.
The only exception is if the victim’s physical or psychological condition prevents them from doing so. It is then said that it was ‘impossible for the victim to act’ and the deadline may be extended.
What information should I provide?
You must explain what happened in detail. You will need to provide:
- a description of all the facts, actions, words and other related information
- all important dates
- the names and contact information of any witnesses
- a mention of any other steps you have taken (for example, filing a complaint with the CNESST, the Ombudsman or the local complaints commissioner, taking legal action, etc.)
We can help you prepare your complaint. Contact us by phone at 1 800 361-6477.
The people involved will not be informed of the identity of the person who reports the exploitation.
Submitting your complaint
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How do we process your complaint?
Steps and timeframes
When we receive your complaint, we will contact you to let you know. We will then determine whether we can assist you. If so, your complaint is ‘admissible’ and we will process it.
Here is a guide to the different stages of the complaint process.
Staff members of the Commission explain how your complaint our report is processed.
Processing times
We will make every effort to process your complaint within 15 months.
This is the timeframe established for regular cases in our Declaration of Services to Citizens (French only). Complex cases may take longer.
You will receive an update at each of the following stages:
- Receipt of your complaint: You will receive verbal or written acknowledgement that we have received your complaint.
- Opening your file: You will be informed in writing whether your complaint is admissible. If it is, we open a file and proceed with our investigation.
- Phase 1 of the investigation - Evaluation: You will be invited to settle your complaint through mediation. If an agreement is not reached through mediation, you will need to provide certain information for the investigation to proceed.
- Phase 2 of the investigation - Gathering evidence: You will receive a summary at the end of this phase.
- Decision: You will receive a written copy of the decision regarding your complaint. The decision is made by the complaints committee after analysis of the investigation results.
If you report exploitation on behalf of someone else, you will not receive a copy of the summary or the decision. Only the parties (the victim and the respondent) will receive this information. The person who reports exploitation is not considered a party to the case.
You do not have to pay to file a complaint.
All our services are free.
- Fill out the online form
- Contact us by phone: 1 800 361‑6477