Bill 42 - A balanced approach to preventing sexual harassment and violence

. Introduced by Labour Minister Jean Boulet, this new bill is designed to ensure the well-being and support of workers who have suffered crimes of a sexual nature.




In recent years, many issues have been raised concerning the prevention and assistance of victims of sexual violence in the workplace. In response to a real need, the bill provides numerous clarifications and also modifies certain measures that have been declared problematic by a number of employers.

"The Minister's desire to restrict the use of amnesty clauses in the workplace is a step in the right direction. This new approach guarantees more respectful treatment for victims and enables employers to provide greater protection for their employees in the workplace," said Charles Milliard, President and CEO of the FCCQ.




While the bill addresses specific issues, some elements would benefit from further discussion. In particular, it provides for the potential imposition of punitive damages beyond the indemnities provided for in the occupational health and safety plan, thus changing one of the foundations of the Quebec plan. Such an amendment must be studied very carefully.

"The bill tabled on November 23, 2023 appears to us to be balanced and reasonable in order to restore confidence in our institutions with regard to the treatment of victims of sexual violence. This bill follows a series of important administrative measures recently adopted by the CNESST. It will obviously be important to carefully analyze the bill to ensure that it does not create undesirable effects," concluded Charles Milliard.

Given the importance of this issue to the business community, the FCCQ will study the Québec government's proposals in detail, and is committed to submitting a brief on the subject




Thanks to its vast network of 114 chambers of commerce and over 1,000 corporate members, the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ) represents more than 45,000 businesses operating in all sectors of the economy throughout Québec. The largest network of business people and companies in Quebec, the FCCQ is both a federation of chambers of commerce and a provincial chamber of commerce. Its members, whether chambers or companies, all pursue the same goal: to foster an innovative and competitive business environment.




The Chamber of Commerce represents over 200 members in the territory that includes the municipalities of Murdochville, Grande-Vallée, Petite-Vallée, Cloridorme and Gaspé. Its primary mission is to represent the interests of its members, and to bring together, support and serve its members and partners through actions adapted to the socio-economic reality of the territory.