There are “a multitude of solutions” to consider before hiring young people under the age of 14 in a company despite the worsening labor shortage, says the Minister of Labour, who is preparing to introduce a bill to regulate their hiring.
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The aging of the population is putting pressure on employers who no longer know what to do to fill their shortage of staff. But this is no reason to turn to young people who are still sitting at school, says Labor Minister Jean Boulet.
“We know that there is a productivity problem in all industries […]but you can’t put the survival of a business on the shoulders of a child,” he says.
The latter also affirms that “there are labor pools that are available”, contrary to what several groups claim.
Seniors, temporary foreign or First Nations workers, people with disabilities and even robotics, he says, should be given preferential treatment when hiring children.
protect children
Mr Boulet should therefore present a bill by the end of March to better regulate youth work. The aim is not only to prevent school dropouts, but also to ensure the safety of young employees.
Between 2017 and 2021, we’ve seen a 155% increase in young people under the age of 16 being injured at work, although we don’t know the total number of this category of workers in Quebec.
SOURCE: CNESST / ILLUSTRATION: ADOBESTOCK
“There isn’t that much abuse, we live in a generally healthy environment […]but a child needs better supervision [qu’un adulte]. We have to take that into account,” says Mr Boulet.
The bill was supposed to be based on the recommendations of the Labor and Manpower Advisory Committee (CCTM), but the minister says he has listened to demands from various groups in the dossier.
- Listen to Yasmine Abdelfadel’s interview with Caroline Senneville, President of the CSN – Confederation of National Trade Unions QUB radio :
Beware of the unruly
If passed, the new law is expected to come into force next school year. Therefore, if Minister Boulet follows the CCTM’s recommendations, workers under the age of 14 could, with some exceptions, lose their jobs as early as September.
“I understand it’s case by case, some 12-year-olds are very mature. I recognize that it can be beneficial up to a point. […] But if you have to go to school, you have to [le travail] be limited,” said the minister.
Fines and disciplinary measures will of course be imposed on companies that refuse to do so.
“Hundreds of CNESST investigators are deployed […] It will require an exercise in collective consciousness, ”points out Jean Boulet.
Two opposing visions
The Centrale des unions du Québec (CSQ) fears the law limiting child labor will be watered down by employers’ organizations that claim they need the work to survive.
“The place of the children is the school. Not behind a counter!” emphasizes Éric Gingras, President of the CSQ.
His organization is part of the Advisory Committee on Labor and Manpower (CCTM), which presented its recommendations on how to better regulate child labor last December.
FOR :
- development of autonomy
- Organizational sense, learn to manage your schedule
- Learn how to manage your budget
- confidence
- Concrete lessons
AGAINST :
- Risk of impairment of school results
- Risk for academic motivation
- fatigue and lack of sleep
- Risk of injury at work
- Can be a source of stress and anxiety
SOURCE: Luc Laberge, researcher from the ECOBES group at Cégep de Jonquière and Élise Ledoux, professor at UQAM / ILLUSTRATION: ADOBESTOCK
In particular, the CCMT recommended that the legal age for access to employment be set at 14, with some exceptions, and that the number of hours a young person works while in school should be limited to 17 hours per week.
It is very difficult to set a maximum number of working hours according to the age of young people, warns researcher Luc Laberge.
A young person who works in a museum and is able to do his homework at the same time does not have the same physical limitations as another young person who works in a restaurant kitchen, for example. The number of hours a young person needs to study to be successful in school also varies from teenager to teenager.
But of course, the more hours you work, the greater the risk that your studies will falter.
GRAPHIC: ADOBESTOCK
“Studies show that exceeding 15 hours per week has an impact on anxiety and dropping out. And under the age of 14, a young person does not yet have the necessary maturity [à la conciliation travail-étude]’ explains Mr Gingras.
Several concerns
However, some industries that are currently drawing on these young people to meet large labor needs raise some reservations.
“Where there is concern is the minimum age. Young people between the ages of 12 and 14 represent a large proportion of our operators’ workforce, particularly in the regions,” emphasizes Martin Vézina, President of Association Restoration Québec.
Far from being against “better care”, he instead proposes reducing the working limit to a maximum of 12 hours for children under 14 and to 20 hours for 14-16 year olds.
Everybody please
With lobbyists like the ARQ speaking to the government on this dossier, the CSQ fears the bill, which is set to be tabled in the coming weeks, will be watered down to please everyone.
No minimum age to work, but…
If under 18:
- The employer may not entrust any work that exceeds the young person’s abilities.
If under 16:
- The previous rule applies.
- You are not allowed to work while you are at school.
- Must be home between 11pm and 6am (with exceptions).
If under 14:
- The previous rules apply.
- Written parental consent must be submitted to the employer.
SOURCE: CNESST
Six recommendations that could be included
- Set the general age for access to employment at 14 with some exceptions.
- Limit working hours to 17 hours per week during the school year.
- Run more targeted information and awareness campaigns.
- To create a statistical profile of work-related health and safety injuries by sector in relation to young workers.
- Propose the protection of child labor in the Labor Standards Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Creation of a statistical portrait of the work of school-age young people.
SOURCE: CCTM SOURCES: CNESST AND CCTM
“We fear that there are groups that manage to convince the minister that certain tasks can be done in complete safety before the age of 14,” says Mr Gingras.
“But you have to look at it from all angles. Maybe it’s not dangerous for a teenager to leave sticks in grocery stores, for example, but it’s not good for their scholastic stamina,” he adds.