Starting this summer, young people under the age of 14 will have to say goodbye to their livelihood at the local restaurant or at the grocery store. Bill 19 governing child labor, adopted Thursday in Quebec, will certainly have an impact on several businesses and on summer vacationers who may have trouble finding a place to eat… on Monday evening.
What there is to know
- Bill 19, which aims to regulate child labor, was adopted Thursday in Quebec.
- Thus, it will now be prohibited for children aged 13 and under to work except for, for example, to babysit, help with homework or even be a monitor in a summer camp.
- From 1er September, children of working age cannot work more than 5 p.m. during the school year.
“In Rouyn-Noranda, last summer during the construction holiday, half of the restaurants were closed,” says the owner of the O’Poulet rotisserie and the O Glacier dairy bar, Marie-Hélène Rivard. Everything suggests that the scenario should repeat itself this year since it is the only way for restaurateurs to give their employees a little rest.
The sites of several establishments, particularly in Gaspésie, indicate that they are not open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Some even welcome their customers from Thursday. Thus, vacationers may therefore have to fall back on the corner grocery store for sustenance at the start of the week.
This phenomenon, which has grown since the pandemic due to the labor shortage, will only be accentuated by the departure of young workers under the age of 14, according to the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ ). “For many operators, there will be a reflection on the opening hours,” says bluntly its vice-president of public and governmental affairs, Martin Vézina.
According to figures from the Ministry of Labor, nearly 90,000 young people under the age of 14 currently have a part-time job.
Bill 19 adopted Thursday in the National Assembly stipulates that children under the age of 14 cannot hold a job except, for example, to deliver newspapers, babysit or work in a holiday camp. Those who work for their parents will be able to keep their livelihood, if the family business has 10 employees or less.
Employers will have 30 days after its sanction to send terminations to their young workers. Once received, the worker can continue to work for approximately two to three weeks. Thus, from mid-July, several companies will have to find alternative solutions. The bill also limits the number of hours of work per week during the school year to 17.
“I am extremely happy. For me, this is a significant step forward”, mentioned the Minister of Labour, Jean Boulet, during a telephone interview with The Press.
Difficult situation for the regions
“The impact will be felt especially in the regions,” says Mr. Vézina. It was a pool of workers for several seasonal businesses. »
The wait to get your ice cream cone or poutine in the canteen could be longer this summer. “Our industry is still facing several challenges, remnants of the pandemic, and these young employees gave us a serious helping hand in certain regions, even if they did not constitute the majority of our employee brigades, maintains Josée Vaillancourt, Director of St-Hubert Group communications. We invite all these workers to come back to see us as soon as they reach the required age…we will certainly miss them! “, she said, adding in the wake that the chain of rotisseries would obviously respect the regulations in force.
Employers who break the law are liable to a fine of up to $1,200 for a first violation. In the event of a repeat offence, they could have to pay $12,000.
In Gaspésie, Simon Veilleux, co-owner of a Marché Richelieu grocery store in Causapscal, will have to decide to lay off Maxime, his 13-year-old nephew. “He works 8 or 9 hours a week when he is at school. During the summer, he was supposed to do more. »
In the summer season, Mr. Veilleux’s business located along Route 132 sees its sales increase by 30%. Many tourists come here to stock up. In anticipation of the summer, and to replace his nephew, he hired two 14-year-olds.
And what will Maxime do? “He’s going to stay at home doing I don’t know what,” he laments. Both of her parents work. I find it really sad for him. »
Despite the dissatisfaction of some entrepreneurs, the Minister of Labor remains convinced that this was the right thing to do. “The fundamental solution to the labor shortage is truly multidimensional. There are other mechanisms that increase productivity. »
Mr. Boulet adds that labor recruitment strategies should not “rely first and foremost on children aged 11, 12, 13”.
But because of recruitment difficulties, could he have granted a “respite” to restaurateurs and traders by allowing workers under 14 to keep their jobs until the end of the summer?
“Are we going to take the risk that there are work accidents this summer for the benefit of having a period of employment? No. I was much more guided by the protection of children to avoid work accidents with serious bodily injury or psychological consequences. The ban will have to apply within the time limits provided for by law. »