Since June 1, 2023, the minimum age for having a job in Québec is 14. The law also limits work schedules until age 16 to give school priority.
School first!
In Québec, school attendance is compulsory until age 16. That’s the law.
A young person must go to school:
- Until the last day of the school calendar in the school year during which they turn 16; or
- Until they have obtained a Secondary 5 diploma or a skills training certificate recognized by the Ministère de l’Éducation.
Unless the student has met one of these requirements, their employer cannot ask them to miss school.
As a result, young people who must be in school cannot work during class hours. Starting September 1, 2023, they must limit the number of work hours to:
- A maximum of 17 hours per school calendar week;
- Therefore, a maximum of 10 hours from Monday to Friday.
Night is for sleeping…
A young person who has to go to school must be able to be home between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following day. In other words, they cannot be working or travelling home from work during this period.
When planning a young person’s work schedule, employers are obliged to take this into account. They must consider where the employee lives and the travel time needed. This obligation applies at all times, even during the weekend and the busiest work periods.
Night schedule restrictions do not apply to newspaper deliverers, babysitters or young people who participate in an artistic production. Neither do they apply to young people who work in a vacation camp that requires that they live on site.
A few exceptions
Before age 14, young people can only work in certain kinds of jobs.
They can:
- Deliver newspapers or other publications;
- Babysit occasionally;
- Participate in artistic productions (theatre, film, television, dance, music, singing, etc.);
- Be a tutor or help with homework.
They can also have a job that is supervised by an adult:
- In the family business that has fewer than 10 people on the payroll (including the young person);
- In a non-profit organization (e.g. day camp, vacation camp, recreational centre);
- In a non-profit sports organization to assist another person (e.g.: assistant counsellor, scorekeeper, assistant coach).
Young people aged 12 and over can do light farm work (taking care of livestock, fruit picking, soil maintenance). The business that hires them must have fewer than 10 employees in all.
A young person under age 14 must be authorized to work by one of their parents. The employer must provide the parent with the consent form allowing their child to work. For young people employed as at June 1, 2023, the employer has a month to obtain a parent’s written consent.
Questions or problems?
Do you have questions about minors and employment? See the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) website.
Do you want to file a complaint about CNESST services? You can contact the Protecteur du citoyen. Our services are confidential and free.
Also see: Young employees: limit the risk of accidents on the job
