Employment agreements and certain employment-related documents for employees residing in Quebec are provided in both French and English to comply with Quebec's language requirements.
Why are documents bilingual in Quebec?
Quebec's Charter of the French Language establishes French as the province's official language and requires many workplace documents, including standard employment agreements, to be available in French.
To comply with these requirements while ensuring clarity for both employees and employers, we provide bilingual (French and English) versions of applicable employment documents for employees based in Quebec.
Who does this apply to?
This requirement applies to employees whose primary residence and place of employment are in Quebec.
Employees residing and working in all other Canadian provinces and territories receive their employment documents in English.
Why is Quebec different from the rest of Canada?
Employment standards in Canada are primarily governed at the provincial and territorial level. As a result, employment requirements can vary between jurisdictions.
Quebec has additional language legislation that requires certain workplace communications and employment documents to be available in French. Because of these legal requirements, employment agreements and other applicable documents for Quebec employees differ from those used in the rest of Canada.
Can documents be issued in English only?
For employees residing and working in Quebec, French must be provided in accordance with Quebec law. To meet these requirements, we issue bilingual (French and English) versions of applicable employment documents.
If an employee is based outside Quebec, employment documents are issued in English.