I am an immigrant worker or temporary foreign worker

Welcome to the CNESST website, your gateway to Québec for information on your rights and obligations with respect to work.

The CNESST is an organization of the Government of Québec that ensures compliance with labour rights and obligations for workers and employers.

Laws enforced by the CNESST that govern the labour rights and obligations of employers and workers
  • The Act respecting labour standards sets out the minimum standards for conditions of employment in Québec.
  • The purpose of the Pay Equity Act is to correct differences in pay caused by gender discrimination.
    • Read the article What is pay equity? for a better understanding of the principle of this legislation.
  • The Act respecting occupational health and safety primarily focuses on preventing work accidents and occupational diseases.
  • The Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases provides for the payment of compensation, and the provision of health care and rehabilitation assistance, if required.

Usted es hispanohablante

Consulte nuestras publicaciones en español para conocer sus derechos y obligaciones en materia laboral.

Labour rights and obligations in Québec

As an immigrant worker or temporary foreign worker, you have the same rights and obligations with respect to work (in French only) as all workers in Québec concerning:

  • labour standards, i.e., the working conditions provided that cover your:
    • salary
    • work schedule
    • annual vacation
    • statutory holidays
  • pay equity, such as:
    • receiving fair wages

  • occupational health and safety

    Workers’ rights:

    • Having working conditions that ensure their health, safety and physical and mental well-being
    • Receiving the appropriate instruction, training and supervision to perform assigned tasks
    • If pregnant or breastfeeding, the worker may request reassignment to tasks that are not physically dangerous for the unborn child or for herself because of her pregnancy and that she is reasonably able to perform.
    • Being able to refuse to perform work if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the performance of the work would expose the worker to danger to their health, safety or physical or mental well-being, or would expose another person to a similar danger

    Workers’ obligations:

    • Taking the necessary measures to protect their health, safety or physical or mental well-being
    • Taking care not to endanger the health, safety or physical or mental well-being of other persons at or near the workplace
    • Participating in the identification and elimination of risks of work accidents occupational diseases at the workplace

An employer also has the same rights and obligations (in French only) toward you as toward its other workers. It does, however, have some more specific obligations if it employs temporary foreign workers.

If you have been recruited by such an agency, the agency and your employer have obligations. Learn more about:

Some working conditions are different for farm workers, in particular with respect to:

  • overtime
  • weekly rest periods
  • wages for strawberry and raspberry picking
  • canning, packing and freezing of fruits and vegetables

Agriculture publications

Visit the I had an accident or illness at work page to find out:

  • what steps to take and how to file a claim to obtain compensation or reimbursement of expenses, if your claim is accepted
  • how to receive the financial assistance you are entitled to during your recovery
  • what the process is for returning to work
  • what rights and recourses you have

French version available :J’ai eu un accident ou une maladie du travail

The employer has an obligation to take appropriate measures to prevent harassment in its workplace and to put an end to problematic situations brought to its attention.

Visit the Je pense vivre du harcèlement psychologique ou sexuel au travail (in French only) page to find out, among other things:

  • what is considered psychological or sexual harassment in Québec
  • what you can do if you think you or someone else is being harassed
  • what your employer’s obligations are regarding psychological or sexual harassment in the workplace
  • how to file a complaint

Publications

For more information, here is a list of all our Spanish publications or French publications, if needed.

Video clips

Want to file a complaint? Visit the Situations where there are grounds for filing a complaint page. Here you’ll get a better understanding of grounds for complaints, particularly with respect to:

  • labour standards
  • pay equity
  • occupational health and safety