The Order in Council 741-2026 approves the Regulation respecting the measures to prevent or put a stop to sexual violence under Québec’s occupational health and safety framework. The regulatory instrument is grounded in section 223 of the Act respecting occupational health and safety (chapter S-2.1), which authorizes the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) to adopt binding regulations requiring employers and principal contractors to implement preventive and responsive measures against workplace sexual violence.

The regulation establishes a structured set of obligations for employers aimed at both preventing sexual violence and ensuring rapid intervention when incidents occur. It explicitly broadens the conceptual scope of sexual violence in the workplace context, recognizing that it may occur not only on employer premises but also in off-site work-related environments, including social events and digital communications. It also acknowledges that such conduct may arise between co-workers, between employees and clients, or even involve employers themselves.

A central pillar of the regulation is mandatory information dissemination. Employers must provide written information to all workers describing identified or analyzed risks, social contexts in which sexual violence may arise, preventive measures included in workplace action plans, and procedures for filing complaints or reports. This requirement emphasizes proactive risk awareness tailored to the specific organizational and sectoral context of each workplace.

The regulation also introduces compulsory training obligations. Employers must deliver training on sexual violence prevention to all employees at least once every three years. The training must be sufficiently comprehensive and cover definitions of sexual violence, its workplace manifestations, psychological and organizational impacts, legal obligations of employers and employees, available resources and legal recourse, and appropriate responses for witnesses.

In addition, the regulation sets out detailed requirements for complaint handling and reporting mechanisms. Employers must implement accessible internal procedures for filing and managing complaints or reports of sexual violence and ensure these procedures are clearly communicated in the workplace. Workers who initiate a complaint or report must be allowed to be accompanied by a person of their choice, reinforcing procedural fairness and support.

Each employer must designate a responsible individual to manage complaints or reports. This designated person must act impartially and possess the necessary competencies to handle sensitive cases. The regulation further requires that all complaints and reports be processed diligently, with safeguards to prevent secondary victimization. Employers must also identify and mitigate any additional risks arising during the complaint-handling process, ensuring that the investigative procedure itself does not create further harm.

Quebec (741/2026) Jun 2, 2026
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