LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Laws

Oct 6: The separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) won the provincial elections, capturing 59 of the 127 National Assembly seats, enough to form a minority government. The election resulted in a historic realignment of Québec’s political landscape highlighted by the PQ’s return to power after 12 years and the collapse of the incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), which failed to win a single seat.

New Laws

Sep 23: Real gross domestic product (GDP)in Québec increased by a modest 0.2% in the second quarter of 2026, as compared to 0.4% in Q1. The improved trade balance and final consumption expenditure, particularly household spending, were the main drivers of the growth that did occur. Decline in inventory investment was among the factors holding back real GDP growth in Q2.

Training

Oct 14: From now through November 4, corporate directors in Québec who are members of visible and ethnic minorities and at least 36 years of age can apply for corporate governance scholarships and training programs from the College of Corporate Directors at Université Laval. Directors who complete the training will receive Certified Corporate Director (CCD) designation.

Action Point: Find out about the rules governing whether employees are entitled to be paid for training time.

Health & Safety

Oct 13: With flu season making an unusually early start, Québec began taking appointments for free influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations. Certain limited groups are also eligible for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination.

Action Point: Find out how to create a legally and clinically sound workplace Exposure Control Plan to protect your employees against the risk of COVID, RSV, seasonal influenza, and other respiratory infectious illnesses.

CASES

Termination: Tech Executive Whose Position Was Eliminated Wins Reinstatement

After two years on the job, a Director of Immersive – Digital Video and Audio at Adobe Systems was let go. He sued for wrongful dismissal under the Québec Labour Standards Act. Adobe asked the Administrative Labour Tribunal (TAT) to dismiss the case, arguing that the Director was a “senior manager” rather than an employee protected by the Act. The TAT disagreed. It also rejected Adobe’s contention that the termination wasn’t subject to TAT review because it was the result of a dismissal for legitimate economic, budgetary or company reorganization reasons. The evidence showed that Adobe made a deliberate decision to get rid of the Director and then abolish the position rather than the other way around. And since there was no just cause to dismiss, the company was guilty of wrongful dismissal and had to reinstate the Director. One failed court appeal later, the case reached the province’s highest court which found both the TAT and lower court’s rulings reasonable [Adobe Systems Canada Inc. v. Bobotis, 2026 QCCA 1346 (CanLII), October 9, 2026].

Action Point: Québec gives employers more leeway than most other provinces to terminate without notice due to macro-economic disruptions. The takeaway from Bobotis is that dismissal may still be deemed wrongful if economic pressures are just a pretext to get rid of a targeted employee. Find out about the 13 most common constructive dismissal liability pitfalls and what to do to manage each one.

Discipline: Rush to Judgment Invalidates Teacher’s Sex Abuse Suspension

A youth centre suspended a special education teacher after his manager learned of a report accusing him of sexually abusing a young person living in the facility. In so doing, the centre invoked a multi-sectoral agreement among Québec ministries for dealing with situations where a child may be a victim of sexual abuse. The union accused the centre of violating the agreement’s due process requirements. The arbitrator upheld the grievance. Instead of listing specific information about the charges, the suspension letter used vague phrases like “new concerning facts” and “professional failings.” The centre also unfairly denied the teacher the opportunity to respond to the charges. Result: The suspension was invalid and the teacher was entitled to money damages [Alliance of Professional and Technical Staff in Health and Social Services c Santé Québec – Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, 2026 CanLII 100050 (QC SAT), September 17, 2026].

Action Point: To the uninitiated, an accusation of child sex abuse would obviously constitute just cause to suspend a teacher who works in close contact with kids. The takeaway is that accused workers are entitled to due process and that a mere accusation, no matter how disturbing, isn’t an excuse to rush to judgment. Find out how to implement a legally sound and effective Workplace Violence & Harassment Prevention and Compliance Game Plan at your site that provides for prompt, fair, and thorough investigation of harassment complaints.