Am I affected by the changes introduced by Bill 96?
An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec
Do the new requirements apply to my business?
The adoption of Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec, has raised some questions in the business community. This law states that the only official language of Quebec is French. Therefore, to comply with the requirements of the law, adjustments must be made without delay.
The legislative changes impact companies and organizations doing business in Quebec, i.e., having employees in Quebec and/or serving customers in Quebec.
To ensure compliance with the law, you must:
- Serve clients in French
- Respect workers’ rights to conduct business in French
- Use French in job-related documents, both pre- and post-employment
- Post job advertisements in French or in a bilingual format
- Take all reasonable steps to avoid requiring a person to know a language other than the official language in order to remain in or gain access to the position
- Comply with the francization requirement for companies with 25 or more employees
- Form a francization committee for companies with 100 or more employees
- Transmit all requests to the Administration (Quebec government, ministries and organizations) in French
- Modify the language choice provisions in contracts of adhesion
- Prepare any document or publication accessible to the public (including social media) in French
What is the deadline for complying with the law?
Are there consequences for not complying with the law?
The penalties
Companies that fail to comply with the requirements risk significant penalties. Each day of violation is a separate offence:
- 1st violation: $3,000 to $30,000
- 2st nd violation: $6,000 to $60,000
- Subsequent violations: $9,000 to $90,000
The fines
Directors and executive officers are also subject to fines. It should be noted that with this law, the inspection and investigation powers of the Office québécois de la langue française have been significantly increased.