Quebec City –
It will soon be a year since the Quebec legislature adopted the Act respecting the regulation of child labour, sponsored by Minister Jean Boulet. Has it achieved its objectives?
“Yes,” says Boulet in an interview with The Canadian Press. He notes a marked reduction in work-related accidents among young people.
The law sets the minimum working age in Quebec at 14, with some exceptions, and prohibits 14- to 16-year-olds from working more than 17 hours a week during the school year, except for vacations.
The minister set two objectives: to ensure the health and safety of children and to promote school retention and educational success.
The law came into force in two stages: employers who employed a youth under 14 had 30 days from June 1, 2023, to send them a notice of termination.
Three months later, on Sept. 1, young people aged between 14 and 16 saw their working …