Québec’s New Regulation on Workplace Sexual Violence: What Employers Need to Know

On May 27, 2026, the Québec government adopted the Regulation respecting measures to prevent or put a stop to situations involving sexual violence (the “Regulation”), which introduces new obligations for employers to prevent, address, and manage workplace sexual violence. Beginning in 2027, employers will be required to provide employees with information on sexual violence risks, prevention measures, complaint procedures, and to implement a complaint and incident reporting process, while mandatory employee training requirements take effect in 2028.

The phased implementation period provides employers with an opportunity to review their existing workplace harassment, violence prevention, and occupational health and safety practices before the new requirements come into force.

Key Takeaways for Employers:

• New requirements relating to workplace sexual violence come into force beginning May 27, 2027, with training obligations following in 2028.
• Employers must provide employees with information on identified risks, prevention measures, and complaint procedures.
• Employers must designate a qualified individual to manage complaints and reports.
• The Regulation extends beyond the physical workplace and may apply to work-related events and online interactions.

A Framework That Extends Beyond the Workplace

The Regulation expressly recognizes that sexual violence may occur both in the workplace and outside of it, including during work-related social activities or through the use of technological means. As a reminder, the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety defines sexual violence as “any form of violence targeting sexuality or any other misconduct, including unwanted gestures, practices, comments, behaviours or attitudes with sexual connotations, whether they occur once or repeatedly, including violence relating to sexual and gender diversity.”

Accordingly, employers will need to recognize that such situations are not limited to interactions between co-workers and may arise in relationships involving clients or another employer.

This approach is consistent with a recent legislative trend toward expanding the prevention of psychosocial risks and no longer limiting employers’ obligations solely to events occurring on their premises. It also aligns with the relevant case law on the subject.

New Obligations for Employers

Effective May 27, 2027, employers will be required to provide all employees with written information tailored to their specific work environment concerning the following matters:

1. the risks related to sexual violence that have been identified or analyzed, where applicable;
2. the social interactions that could result in sexual violence;
3. the measures provided for in the employer’s prevention program or action plan that make it possible to eliminate or, failing that, control the identified risks; and
4. the procedure to file a complaint or report sexual violence.

The Regulation also requires every employer to implement a complaint and incident reporting procedure concerning situations involving sexual violence and to make that procedure available in the workplace. Such a procedure must be supported by the designation of a person responsible for managing and processing complaints and incident reports. That person must carry out those duties impartially and have the necessary knowledge and skills to perform that role.

Employers must take measures to ensure that the management of a complaint or report does not create additional risks for the employees involved, such as secondary victimization. Employers will also be required to implement control measures addressing risks identified during the handling of a complaint or report.

A New Training Requirement Beginning in 2028

Starting on May 27, 2028, employers will be required to provide all employees with training on the prevention of sexual violence.

This training must be renewed every three (3) years and must address the following topics:

1. the definition of sexual violence;
2. the types of sexual violence that could occur in the workplace;
3. the effects of sexual violence on persons and its consequences in the workplace;
4. the obligations of the employer and workers, and the rights of workers;
5. a list of resources and the recourses available to workers; and
6. the good practices applicable when a person is a witness to or has knowledge of sexual violence in the workplace.

The training must be dispensed by a person who possesses the knowledge, training or experience necessary to identify and assess risks relating to sexual violence in the workplace.

A Regulation That Complements an Existing Legislative Framework

It is important to note that the Regulation does not replace employers’ existing obligations concerning the prevention of psychological harassment and workplace violence under other labour statutes. Rather, it supplements those obligations.

In this regard, employers remain subject to various statutory obligations, including the duty to take reasonable action to prevent psychological harassment from any person and, whenever they become aware of such behaviour, to put a stop to it.

Employers must also adopt a policy for the prevention of psychological harassment and the handling of related complaints. From a practical perspective, and in order to ensure a consistent approach, the specific information relating to sexual violence that must be communicated to employees could be incorporated into the employer’s existing psychological harassment policy and related workplace practices.

The identification of risks relating to sexual violence and the implementation of appropriate preventive measures will also need to be integrated consistently with the new obligations imposed on employers under the reform of the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety, including those relating to the adoption of a prevention program or an action plan.

Find more information on this topic in our blogs:

• Amendments to the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety: What You Need to Know
• Regulation Respecting Prevention and Participation Mechanisms in an Establishment: What You Need to Know

The phased implementation of the Regulation therefore provides employers with an opportunity to review whether their current practices comply not only with the new regulatory requirements, but also with their broader obligations concerning psychological health, harassment prevention, and the management of psychosocial risks.

Our Labour & Employment Group will continue to closely monitor developments regarding the implementation and interpretation of this new Regulation. If you would like additional information or advice on managing the impact of the Regulation on your operations, please contact a member of our Labour & Employment Group.

Acknowledgments to Julien Brodeur, Articling Student, for his contribution to the preparation of this blog post.