– An employment agreement can provide for a fixed or an indeterminate term of employment. – The employer must take measures to protect the health, safety and dignity of employees. – The parties may stipulate a non-competition covenant, provided that it is limited as to time, place and type of employment necessary for the protection of the interests of the employer. – Either party to an employment agreement with an indeterminate term may terminate the contract, subject to reasonable prior notice or an indemnity in lieu thereof. – Either party may terminate an employment agreement without prior notice for a serious reason. – Employees may not validly renounce their right to receive reasonable notice in the event of termination without serious reason. – An employment agreement is not terminated by the sale of the assets of a business or any change in its legal structure by way of amalgamation or otherwise, and the employment agreement is binding on any successor employer. – A “choice of law” clause may be unenforceable if it deprives workers of the protection to which they are entitled under the mandatory provisions of the law of the country where they usually work. Because minimum statutory notice of termination and the right to receive reasonable notice cannot be contracted out of or waived, terms in an employment agreement that provide for “termination at will” are not enforceable.
Labour and Employment laws in Québec are set by several statutes, including the Act respecting labour standards , the Quebec Labour Code and the Civil Code of Québec .
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Doing Business in Québec
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