The Act respecting accidents and occupational diseases
While the purpose of the AROH focuses on preventing work accidents and occupational diseases upstream, the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (AIAOD) provides a post-incident mechanism for compensation and redress for workers who suffer occupational injuries or diseases.
The AIAOD serves as a cornerstone in protecting the physical and psychological health of workers. It naturally extends its protection to temporary foreign workers, provided they are legally employed in Quebec.
In general, the AIAOD fulfils several key functions:
- Provide prompt and fair compensation to workers, whether for medical expenses or income replacement in cases of incapacity to return to work;
- Ensure rehabilitation and facilitate the worker’s return to work;
- Protect workers from employer reprisals and exonerate them from the burden of proving fault.
Act to prevent and fight psychological harassment and sexual violence in the workplace
The Act to prevent and fight psychological harassment and sexual violence in the workplace exists in parallel with the existing body of legislation, which it essentially clarifies and modifies in order to better protect workers “in their workplace and in the exercise of their rights of recourse”.
The Act defines sexual violence and includes it among psychosocial risks associated with work.
It includes, in particular, unwanted acts of a sexual nature, suggestive remarks, comments, threats, etc.
Its key objectives are to:
- Regulate and safeguard the confidentiality of complaints relating to sexual violence (introduction of presumptions to facilitate recognition of injuries, penalties for breaches of confidentiality, etc.);
- Amend the mandatory Prevention and management of harassment policy applicable to all employers;
- Employers’ mandatory policies must now include internal provisions for staff training, investigation management, and measures to protect the confidentiality of complaints and reports.
The time limit for filing a complaint concerning sexual violence is two years.
