Adapting Quebec Employment Management Practices Amid Economic Unpredictability

When facing economic unpredictability, employers are often required to make complex workforce management decisions and be agile with their employment practices. Whether contemplating layoffs, terminations of employment or dismissals for economic or organizational purposes, employers should thoroughly assess each measure against the applicable legal criteria that are largely dependent on the relevant circumstances.

Below are five key considerations for responsible workforce management that employers should consider to ensure compliance with the law:

1. Distinctionsbetween a layoff and the end of employment. Pursuant to Quebec's Act respecting labour standards (Act), a layoff is intrinsically temporary and must be founded on actual organizational or economic reasons. While the employment relationship between the employer and the employee is maintained for the duration of the layoff, during such period, the employee is not legally required to work for the employer,