Dealing With Harassment While Working in Quebec

• Issued: August 2006
• ISBN: 1-4249-1925-8
• PDF Version [ 44 Kb / 2 pages | Download Adobe Reader ]

This fact sheet is provided for your information and convenience only. It is not a legal document. For further information contact the Jobs Protection Office of the Ministry of Labour.

The governments of Ontario and Quebec are committed to zero tolerance of anyone harassing people working outside of their home province.

This fact sheet is for Ontario contractors and workers who feel that they have been harassed while working on a construction site in Quebec.

Both Ontario and Quebec are taking steps to prevent harassment and have set up a process to deal with complaints of harassment, if it occurs.

For more information please call the Jobs Protection Office (JPO) hotline at 1-888-998-9959.

What is harassment?

Harassment occurs when a contractor or worker who has the legal right to work on a construction site is intimidated, threatened or challenged in some way. The people doing the harassing may include any of the following:

• contractor;
• site supervisor;
• worker;
• government official; or
• union representative.

Harassment can be verbal or physical and can include repeated, aggressive questioning, offensive gestures or language, or being told to leave a work site and not to return.

It is important to note that if you feel that you, your family or your property are threatened with injury or damage, you should call the local police. You still have the right to call Ontario's Official Contact (see contact information below) to complain and report what you have told the police.

What do I do if I have been harassed?

Report what happened to the Official Contact for Ontario at the Jobs Protection Office of the Ministry of Labour.

The Official Contact has been appointed by the Minister of Labour to resolve complaints and disputes related to working in Quebec. Services are offered in English and French and every effort will be made to preserve confidentiality. The Official Contact will make every effort to ensure that your rights are maintained during the resolution process.

Be prepared to provide the following information:

• a description of what happened;
• the date and place of the occurrence;
• the people involved;
• relevant documents (notes, signs, letters) or names of witnesses;
• the resolution you would like to see.

Ontario's Official Contact will work with Quebec's Official Contact to resolve the complaint in 48 hours. Complaints that are supported will be sent to the appropriate organization or agency in Quebec for an investigation.

If the investigation indicates that your complaint was justified, Quebec's Official Contact will promptly rectify the situation or request that the organization(s) involved take immediate action to resolve the complaint.

If the Official Contacts are unable to resolve your complaint, it will be handled through a formal dispute resolution process involving senior officials of both governments. This process is designed so that a dispute is either resolved in eight days, or referred to the ministers of labour for both provinces.

Further Information

For general assistance or information, contact:

Jobs Protection Office of the Ministry of Labour
2378 Holly Lane, Suite 202
Ottawa, Ontario, K1V 7P1

Hotline: 1-888-998-9959
General Inquiry: (613) 260-8351
Fax: (613) 260-8369
E-mail

Official Contact for Ontario:
Mr. Bob Onyschuk
Director, Jobs Protection Office

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