LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Payroll

May 12: The Québec Assembly began debate on 2026 Budget legislation (Bill 6) that would, among other things, provide employers in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors a temporary holiday from having to make contributions to the Health Services Fund.

New Laws

Jun 4: Québec began paying a refundable tax credit for groceries and energy costs to help low- to middle-income households. The tax credit will be paid in a lump sum of $100 for eligible individuals without a spouse and $150 for a couple (eligible individual and their spouse). Another $50 will be added for households with at least one child under 18 on April 1, 2026. Parents with joint custody will each receive $50. Unlike the solidarity tax credit, the new one-time credit isn’t reduced based on family income.

New Laws

May 25: Québec announced that it’s providing nearly $17.8 million in funding to support 18 projects designed to accelerate the adoption and responsible use of quantum technologies and AI across different sectors of the province’s economy.

New Laws

May 7: New red-tape reduction legislation that abolishes the annual royalty that sawmills in Québec must pay on timber from public forests has been reported out of Committee. Bill 11 also revises the pricing of such timber, which will now be based on a minimum rate that’s adjusted monthly according to the average profitability of companies and market conditions. The government plans to phase in the new wood pricing system over a two-year transition period.

Training

June 1: June 1 is the deadline for small and medium enterprises in Québec to apply for Artificial Intelligence ​​Training for Innovative and Agile Businesses funding for training projects to help workers develop AI skills. Submitted projects must be led by eligible collective promoters, such as a sectoral workforce committee, employers' association, or union, and target workers from at least two companies.

Action Point: Find out how to guard against AI legal and liability risks by implementing a legally sound workplace artificial intelligence use policy.

Young Workers

May 25: With companies taking on young workers for summer jobs, the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) kicked off a new safety awareness campaign for young workers, who suffer work injuries at disproportionately higher rates than their older counterparts.

Action Point: Find out how to implement a Game Plan to comply with special OHS and employment standards rules protecting young employees.

Workplace Violence

May 13: Newly tabled Bill 4 makes it easier for individuals who are at risk of domestic violence, including minor under the age of 14, to apply to law enforcement for personal information indicating whether their or their parent’s intimate partner has a history of violence. The Bill also allows police officers and support services personnel to seek such information on behalf of a third person they reasonably suspect to be in danger of intimate partner violence.

Action Point: Domestic and sexual violence becomes an OHS issue and liability risk for employers when it happens at the victim’s workplace. Find out how to protect your employees from the risk of workplace domestic violence.

Health & Safety

Apr 22: Newly effective OHS regulations require employers to report health and safety information about specific contaminants and hazardous materials in their workplace to CNESST every three years. The agency would then share that data with other government agencies to advance public safety.

CASES

Work Refusal: Face Mask Refusal During COVID Is Just Cause to Terminate

After a series of progressive discipline actions, a liquor store fired a cashier for repeated refusals to wear a face mask during the COVID pandemic. The union cried foul, claiming that the action violated the cashier’s OHS work refusal rights. But the Québec arbitrator disagreed and dismissed the grievance. The right to refuse work applies only to work that’s unduly dangerous. In the context of the pandemic, work becomes unduly dangerous when the employer doesn’t follow public health guidelines. But the store in this case did follow guidelines. So, the cashier’s refusal was “unreasonable” and the store had just cause to terminate for insubordination [Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) v Syndicat des employés de magasins et de bureaux de la Société des alcools du Québec (SEMB – SAQ – CSN), 2026 CanLII 32250 (QC SAT), April 2, 2026].

Action Point: Find out how to implement a legally sound Compliance Game Plan for responding to OHS work refusals at your own workplace.

Health & Safety: Fall Protection Violation Was the Fault of the Worker, Not the Employer

CNESST inspectors cited a bridge contractor for a fall protection violation after observing a worker on a platform more than three metres above a frozen river whose harness wasn’t attached to the lifeline. The contractor blamed the worker claiming it exercised due diligence to comply with the law and prevent the violation. The Québec court agreed and dismissed the charge. The contractor clearly did its OHS “homework,” the court explained. “Everything was in place during the site visit. The structure was clear; the rules were clear as well. The equipment was safe. The worker had the necessary equipment” and wasn’t “exposed to any abnormal risks.” He was also experienced and there was no evidence of inadequate supervision [CNESST v. Stellaire Construction inc., 2026 QCCQ 1600 (CanLII), April 21, 2026].