Recruitment and placement agencies for temporary foreign workers in Quebec will now need to register for a permit with CNESST as of January 1, 2020.
The permits will help CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité au travail) enforce labour standards among recruiters and protect temporary foreign workers from exploitative hiring practices.
For example, agencies are now legally prohibited from charging unauthorized recruitment fees or keeping a worker’s personal documents (such as passports and work permits). Agencies are also forbidden from using the workers’ employment status to pay them less than the client company. Additionally, placement agencies are required to post their license in a visible location and will need to renew their permits every two years.
Models for required documents will be available on December 20. When workers are hired, agencies must give them these documents. Such documents include a description of working conditions and contact information for the workers’ new workplace, as well as a document outlining employment standards in Quebec.
Agencies will have until Feb. 14, 2020 to register for their new permits.