New child labour law comes into effect Sept. 1, limiting hours that can be worked during school
Posted August 30, 2023 12:00 pm.
With the back-to-school season in full swing, on Wednesday Quebec’s Minister of Labour Jean Boulet highlighted the new child labour law coming into effect on Sept. 1.
The law adopted in June includes new provisions limiting the number of hours that can be worked by children during the school year.
Youth will be limited to a total 17 hours of work a week, including a maximum of 10 hours from Monday to Friday, for children subject to compulsory school attendance.
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“A child’s first job is to be a student. It has been shown that students can experience difficulties when a job takes up too much of their time and energy. By limiting the number of hours that can be worked during the school year, we can promote a better work-study balance. The educational success of our young people is a social issue, and I would like to thank all our partners – employers, unions and the community – for making the deployment of this law a success so far,” said Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for the Mauricie and Nord-du-Québec regions, in a press release.
The new restrictions won’t apply during periods of more than seven consecutive days when school is closed, such as during summer vacation or spring break.
Since the law was passed last June, it has also been illegal for employers to employ children under the age of 14, with certain exceptions.
“As a society, we have a responsibility to regulate the use of child labor, especially in the midst of inflation and labor shortages. Tomorrow’s Quebec will need skilled workers, and a long-term vision requires us to promote the educational success of young people,” said Éric Gingras, President of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec, in the same release.
