Quebec's Bill 96 : Impacts On Employers

On May 13, Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Quebec (hereinafter "Bill 96") was tabled to the National Assembly. Overall, Bill 96 clarifies and reinforces the previous rules and their application by the Office québécois de la langue française ("OQLF"). It also adds a few new concepts. We summarized below the main elements impacting employers.

In a nutshell, Bill 96 is based on the following goals:

• Ensuring that the workers' right to carry on their activities in French is respected;
• The right to a work environment free of discrimination or harassment related to the use of French or to claiming a right arising from the Charter of the French language;