Psychological harassment (Quebec)

Quebec's legal term for vexatious, repeated or hostile conduct at work that harms a worker's dignity or integrity. Every Quebec employer needs a policy.

Also called: harcèlement psychologique, psychological or sexual harassment

What psychological harassment (Quebec) means

Psychological harassment is the term Quebec's Act respecting labour standards uses for harassment at work. In plain words, it is vexatious behaviour (behaviour that torments, humiliates or upsets someone) shown through repeated, hostile or unwanted comments, actions or gestures. To count, it must affect the worker's dignity or psychological or physical integrity, and make the work environment harmful for them.

The definition includes comments, actions or gestures of a sexual nature, so sexual harassment is part of psychological harassment in Quebec. One serious incident can also be psychological harassment if it has a lasting harmful effect on the worker.

If you employ anyone in Quebec, this applies to you whatever your size. The law makes you responsible for preventing psychological harassment and for stopping it when you learn about it.

How it works

The law puts two duties on you. First, take reasonable action to prevent psychological harassment, and put a stop to it whenever you become aware of it. Second, adopt a policy on preventing psychological harassment and handling complaints, include a section on behaviour of a sexual nature, and make the policy available to your staff. CNESST, the Quebec agency that enforces labour standards and workplace safety, publishes guidance and sample material for employers.

CNESST says harassment is generally assessed from the point of view of the person who experienced it, not the intentions of the person accused. So 'I was only joking' is not a defence. What matters is whether a reasonable person in the worker's position would see the conduct as hostile or unwanted and harmful.

An employee who believes they were harassed can complain to CNESST. The complaint must be filed within 2 years of the last incident. If the harassment caused a psychological injury confirmed by a doctor, CNESST advises the worker to file both a harassment complaint and a work accident claim, which means the case can touch your workers' compensation file too.

In practice, a good Quebec policy names who receives complaints, explains how they are handled, protects confidentiality and promises no reprisals. Train managers to spot early signs, such as one person being left out, belittled in meetings or given impossible deadlines, and to act before it becomes a pattern.

Is it the same in every province?

Psychological harassment is a Quebec term from the Act respecting labour standards. Other provinces cover the same behaviour under workplace harassment or bullying and harassment rules in their safety laws, with their own definitions and policy requirements.

Example: A shift lead in a Gatineau shop

Marc owns a hardware store in Gatineau with 12 employees. A cashier tells him that her shift lead has, for several weeks, criticized her loudly in front of customers, excluded her from the team chat and called her useless. She is having trouble sleeping and dreads coming in.

Marc takes out the store's harassment policy and follows it. He asks the shift lead to stop contacting the cashier outside of work tasks while he looks into the complaint, and asks an outside HR consultant to interview both people and two co-workers. The behaviour was repeated, hostile and affected the cashier's dignity, so it fits the definition. Marc disciplines the shift lead, changes the schedule so the cashier reports to a different lead, and tells the cashier the outcome. If the cashier's doctor confirms an injury, she may also file a work accident claim with CNESST.

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Questions about psychological harassment (Quebec)

What is the deadline for a psychological harassment complaint in Quebec?

A complaint to CNESST must be filed within 2 years of the last incident of harassment.

Is a small business in Quebec required to have a harassment policy?

Yes. Every employer covered by the Act respecting labour standards must adopt a prevention and complaint policy with a section on sexual behaviour and make it available to staff.

Can one incident be psychological harassment?

Yes. A single serious incident can be psychological harassment if it has a lasting harmful effect on the worker.

Does the harasser have to mean it?

No. CNESST says the situation is generally assessed from the point of view of the person harassed, without regard to the harasser's intentions.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 4 November 2026.