
Payroll and Benefits Guide Canada – Quebec
Last updated: May 01, 2022
Contributions
Employer
Employer Payroll Contributions
1.25-4.26% | Health Services Fund (HSF) |
2.282% | Employment Insurance (employer maximum 1,403.43 CAD) |
0.692% | Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) (Maximum employer premium 629.72 CAD) |
6.40% | Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) (Maximum employer premium 4,038 CAD) |
0.33% | Labor Standards |
1.00% | Workforce Skills and Development (WSDRF) |
1.90% | If payroll is greater than 2 million CAD,
Varies based on employee classification Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) |
Up to 16.864% | Total Employment Cost |
Employee
Employee Payroll Contributions
1.63% | Employment Insurance (maximum employee premium 1,002.45 CAD) |
0.494% | Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) (Maximum employee premium 449.54 CAD) |
6.40% | Pension Plan (Maximum employee premium 4,038.40 CAD) |
8.524% | Total Employee Cost |
Employee
Employee Income Tax
Federal: Annual taxable income (CAD)
Federal: Annual taxable income (CAD) | |
15.00% | Up to 53,359.00 CAD |
20.50% | 53,359.01 CAD to 106,717.00 CAD |
26.00% | 106,717.01 CAD to 165,430.00 CAD |
29.00% | 165,430.01 CAD to 235,675.00 CAD |
33.00% | 235,675.00 CAD and over |
Quebec: | Annual taxable income (CAD): |
15% | Up to 49,275 CAD |
20% | 49,275 CAD – 98,540 CAD |
24% | 98,540.01 CAD – 119,910 CAD |
25.75% | 119,910.01 CAD and over |
Employer taxes
Employee taxes
Minimum Wage
General
As of May 1, 2023, Quebec’s current general minimum wage will increase from 14.25 CAD per hour to 15.25 CAD. For tipped workers, the minimum wage is 12.20 CAD per hour. The minimum wage rate set for employees of federally regulated organisations will be the current minimum wage rate specified in the jurisdiction in which the employee performs the work.
MINIMUM WAGE (PER MONTH)
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
An employer has 1 month to remit an employee’s first pay. After this, wages must be paid at regular intervals of no more than 16 days, or 1 month in case of managerial personnel. If pay day falls on a statutory holiday, the wages must be paid on the preceding working day.
13th Salary
There is no legislation for 13th- month payments in Quebec, Canada.
Working Hours
General
Per the Employment Standards Labour Code, § 16, the maximum number of working hours shall not exceed 8 hours a day, 44 hours a week, with a maximum (inclusive of overtime) of 12-hours in a day. However, in Quebec this can differ per industry, for example:
- Clothing industry- 39 hours maximum per week
- Forestry or sawmill- 47 hours maximum per week
- Remote area or James Bay Territory- 55 hours maximum per week
- Security + provides surveillance- 44 hours maximum per week
- Security + doesn’t provide surveillance- 60 hours maximum per week
Overtime
An employer must pay an employee overtime pay at a rate that is at least 150.00% of the employee’s regular rate of pay or one hour of time off in lieu.
Working Week
Monday-Friday
Leave
Paid Time Off
In Quebec, employees are entitled to two consecutive weeks of vacation leave after the first year of employment and three consecutive weeks of leave after five years of employment.
Employees are entitled to vacation pay of 4.00% of the regular salary rate of pay for the first five years of employment and 6.00% of the regular salary rate of pay after five years of employment.
Public Holidays
There are 8 national holidays in Quebec. If a holiday falls on a weekend, the holiday is observed on the Friday before the weekend or on the following Monday.
Sick Days
Eligible employees who have worked for the same employee for at least three consecutive months are entitled to up to 26 weeks of leave per year due to sickness, accident, organ or tissue donation, domestic violence, etc.
Maternity Leave
Employees are entitled to up to 17 weeks of leave if the employee has completed at least one year of employment before the due date. Maternity leave may not begin before the 17th week preceding the expected delivery date and shall end not later than 18 weeks after. If the delivery occurs after the expected date, the employee is entitled to at least two additional weeks of maternity leave.
Special maternity leave may begin four weeks before the expected delivery date when there is a risk of termination of her pregnancy or a danger for the health of the mother or unborn child caused by the pregnancy. Two weeks’ notice and a medical certificate is required.
Employment insurance provides maternity and parental benefits to:
- People who are away from work because they’re pregnant or have recently given birth
- Parents who are away from work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child
- Workers are entitled to 55% of their earnings for 15 weeks up to a maximum of CAD650 a week
Maternity benefits are only available to the person who is away from work because they’re pregnant or have recently given birth. They can’t be shared between parents.
The person receiving maternity benefits may also be entitled to parental benefits.
Maternity benefits can be followed by parental benefits. You may apply for both at once.
For further information visit the Government of Canada website.
PAID MATERNITY LEAVE (DAYS)
Paternity Leave
Paternal leave falls under parental leave.
Parental Leave
Parents are entitled to up to 63 weeks of leave to care for a newborn or adopted child. The parental leave cannot begin before the week of birth or when the child is legally adopted.
The leave should begin no later than 78 weeks after the birth or adoption.
Employment insurance provides maternity and parental benefits to:
- People who are away from work because they’re pregnant or have recently given birth
- Parents who are away from work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child
The assistance details are as follows:
Benefit name | Maximum weeks | Benefit rate | Weekly max |
Standard parental | Up to 40 weeks can be shared between parents, but one parent cannot receive more than 35 weeks of standard benefits | 55% | up to $650 |
Extended parental | Up to 69 weeks can be shared between parents, but one parent cannot receive more than 61 weeks of extended benefits | 33% | up to $390 |
For further information visit the Government of Canada website.
Other Leave
Employees are entitled to 5 days of mandatory leave for the bereavement of a family member, approximately 27 weeks of leave for Compassionate care leave, up to 10 days per year for personal emergency leave, and up to 8 weeks in 26 weeks for Family medical leave.
Employees are also entitled to up to 104 weeks in the event of the death of an employee’s child or in the case that the child has disappeared.
In Quebec, all employers must provide their full-time, regularly employed employees, job-protected, unpaid leave for their duty as jurors or as a witness in a case, responding to a subpoena: or acting as a plaintiff or defendant in the courts. Employees must provide a copy of the jury summons to the employer as evidence of the requirement.
Reservist Leave regulations require employers to provide up to 20 days of unpaid leave each calendar year for annual training for Reservists once they have completed at least 26 consecutive weeks of service with the same employer. An employee may take reservist leave for the following reasons:
- deployment to a Canadian forces’ operation outside Canada
- deployment to a Canadian forces operation inside Canada that is assisting with an emergency or the aftermath of an emergency
- annual training, included related travel time, for up to 20 days in a calendar year
- other operations set out as such in the Employment Standards Regulation by the Minister
Termination
Termination Process
The termination process is standard in Quebec, Canada. It is based on termination reasons within the General Labour Law, unless an employer can provide sufficient cause for dismissal without notice (due to misconduct, etc.)
Notice Period
In general, notice periods in Quebec are stipulated within the employment contract/collective agreement and is linked to the reason for termination and the employee’s length of service, as below:
- Seven days’ notice is required if the employee is within 3 months to 1 year of employment
- 14 days’ notice is required if the employee is within 1 year to 5 years of employment
- Four weeks’ notice is required if the employee is within their fifth year of service, up to the tenth year of service
- Eight weeks’ notice is required if the employee has completed more than ten years’ service.
Severance Pay
In Quebec, Canada, there is no statutory severance pay due.
Probation Period
Probation periods in Quebec for permanent employees are generally a minimum of 3 months.
Common Benefits
General
Cell Phone, internet allowance, and car allowance.
Supplementary health care/dental plan – typically covers costs of items or care that is not covered by Canada’s universal healthcare system such as prescription drugs or vision ware.
Private pension contribution of the employer (2-6 % of base salary).
VISA
VISA
The Government of Canada operates the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to enable foreign citizens to apply to work in Canada for a set period. The program covers all job roles and knowledge levels, and it can be used when a qualified Canadian citizen or permanent resident is not available or suitable for the role.
Federal (Government of Canada) immigration programs and provincial programs (Government of Quebec) are available in Quebec.
VAT
General
The standard rate of VAT in Quebec, Canada, is 5.00%. However, Quebec also has a provincial sales tax (PST) which is a retail sales tax that applies when taxable goods or services are purchased, acquired, or brought into Quebec for use in Quebec, and this rate is 9.98%, resulting in a combined GST and QST rate of 14.98%
Stay up to date on payroll & employment law changes
Version History
3 weeks of paid time off after 5 years of employment instead of 3
Maternity leave changed to 18 weeks instead of 20
Parental leave has increased from 52 weeks to 78 weeks.
Quebec Pension Plan contributions for the employee and employer contribution rates increased to 5.90%.
Payroll contributions and personal income tax rates have been updated.
Questions & Answers

See how Papaya can help you automate your global payroll or EoR whilst staying 100% compliant with local labor laws
Payroll and Benefits Guide
in Canada – Quebec
What’s covered in this guide:
- Employer/employee contributions
- Minimum wage
- Working hours
- Visa requirements
And more...
Public Holidays Calendar
Day | Date | Holiday | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Sunday | Jan-1 | New Year’s Day | |
Monday | Jan-2 | New Year’s Day holiday | Holiday just for the clothing industry |
Friday | Apr-7 | Good Friday | Employers Choose to observe either Good Friday or Easter Monday |
Monday | Apr-10 | Easter Monday | Employers Choose to observe either Good Friday or Easter Monday |
Monday | May-22 | Patriot’s Day | |
Saturday | Jun-24 | National Day | |
Saturday | Jul-1 | Canada Day | |
Monday | Sep-4 | Labour Day | |
Monday | Oct-9 | Thanksgiving | |
Monday | Dec-25 | Christmas Day |
If the payroll cycle is semi-monthly, how to calculate the day rate for the unused vacation compensation in case of termination? Should we use full salary and divide on number of business days in the full month, or half salary and divide on the number of business days in the half month?
Hi Yuliya, can you please clarify your question? Are you asking how to calculate unused annual leave or how to calculate a partial months’ salary?
Hi Emily. Thank you for clarification. How to calculate unused annual leave payment for terminated associate?
If the original company is based in US and I work from Canada(QC) with Papaya services, does it count as Canadian work experience for me? (for getting Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) there’s a need of a year of Canadian work experience)
Yes, since you are an EoR worker and there is an entity in Canada.