Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures

Canadian Human Rights Commission 2023 - 2024

As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Canadian Human Rights Commission for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.

Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.

Mandate:

The Commission leads the administration of the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) and works with employers to ensure compliance with the Employment Equity Act (EEA). The CHRA prohibits discrimination and the EEA promotes equality in the workplace. Under the leadership of the Pay Equity Commissioner and the Accessibility Commissioner, the Commission is also responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Pay Equity Act (PEA) and the Accessible Canada Act (ACA). These laws apply the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination to federal government departments and agencies, Crown corporations, and federally regulated private sector organizations. Finally, the Commission provides the Federal Housing Advocate with administrative services and facilities to support their duties and functions. Further details on the Commission’s mandate, program activities and governing legislation can be found in the Commission's Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Report.

Canadian Human Rights Commission Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2024

Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Expenditure category	Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2024 ($ thousands)	Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2023 ($ thousands)	Variance ($ thousands)
Travel
Operational activities	$88.35	$72.78	$15.57
Key stakeholders	$92.28	$103.47	-$11.19
Internal governance	$2.18	$0.53	$1.65
Training	$16.80	$6.22	$10.58
Other	$38.50	$2.44	$36.06
A. Total travel	$238.11	$185.44	$52.67
B. Hospitality	$4.37	$3.17	$1.20
C. Conference fees	$5.22	$1.17	$4.05
Total [A+B+C]	$247.70	$189.78	$57.92
International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel)	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year

Total travel:

Compared to the fiscal year 2022-23, departmental travel expenditures increased by $52.6k (28%) due to a higher frequency of in-person judicial hearings and mediations. Despite this increase, the Commission is spending $222.9k (48%) less in total travel expenses than pre-pandemic levels (2018-19). This reduction in spending relative to pre-pandemic is aligned with the Government of Canada's Refocusing Government Spending initiative which reduced the Commission's budget by $188K in 2023-24.

Hospitality:

Compared to fiscal year 2022-23, expenses on hospitality increased marginally from $3.2k to $4.4k (38%). This variance was not significant, but it is still lower than pre-pandemic levels (2018-19) by about $10.6k (71%).

Conference fees:

Compared to fiscal year 2022-23, there was an increase in departmental conference expenditures from $1.2K in 2022-23 to $5.2K in 2023-24 for a total increase of $4K. This variance was not due to any significant changes in operating activities, and the variance is only notable because prior year spending has typically been very limited in this area. Costs in 2023-24 were similar to pre-pandemic levels when adjusted for inflation ($4K in 2018-19).