A hairstylist is fighting for damages he was awarded by the Quebec Human Rights Commission after his employer prevented him from working on Saturdays due to his religion.

Richard Zilberg, who is Jewish, was told he couldn’t work on the Sabbath at Spa Orazen on Queen Mary Rd. (The business has since changed its name.)

Zilberg was then fired for going public with the story.

Zilberg worked at the spa for 10 months starting in October 2011. At first he worked on Saturdays, but then, he said he was given a new edict.

“I was not permitted to go to the salon and work on Saturdays based on the fact, and solely on the fact, that I'm Jewish,” he said, adding that he was told Jewish people shouldn't work on the Sabbath.

He said working on Saturdays does not violate his spiritual values.

“I was upset. I was angry at the fact that I was singled out because of my faith and not being able to go in and somebody of non-Jewish faith was able to work,” he said.

He said he was also asked to keep quiet, but didn't.

“In one case the person actually confronted them and that was the day I was fired,” he said.

The Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) said another Jewish employee who quit corroborated the story.

“An employer that's imposed an employer's faith on an employee of the same faith, so it's very unusual,” said Fo Niemi, executive director of CRARR, adding, “Religion should not be used as a reason to increase the control of the employee's working condition.”  

Last month the Human Rights Commission agreed, and awarded Zilberg $20,000 in moral and punitive damages and for loss of income.

The business has not complied.

Spa owner Iris Gressy, who is also Jewish, declined an interview on the matter Tuesday, saying she's too busy working, but did say she denies that she discriminated in any way against her former employee.

However, CRARR said Gressy ignored a subpoena asking her to present her side of the story, so the case must now head to the Human Rights Tribunal.


“The human rights tribunal does have enforcement power, so that's why it's a very serious matter,” said Niemi.