Psychosocial Risks at Work: New Obligations for Quebec Employers

A complaint has been filed. A team says it is exhausted. The workload has increased and small tensions are becoming hard to ignore.

These situations are common. What matters is how they are handled.

Since October 1, 2025, Quebec employers must include work-related psychosocial risks in their prevention approach. These risks include work overload, chronic stress, conflict, incivility, harassment, discrimination, lack of recognition and other work organization problems that can harm psychological health and safety.

The goal is not to add red tape. It is to adopt a prevention approach that is structured, documented and concrete.

Important: this article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Employers should consult the current CNESST requirements as needed.

What employers need to know

Psychosocial risks are working conditions that can affect mental health, physical health, engagement and working relationships. One difficult day is usually not the problem. The problem is a condition that keeps recurring or is left unaddressed.

Some examples:

• Work overload
• Persistent stress
• Conflict or incivility
• Psychological or sexual harassment
• Discrimination or exclusion
• Poorly defined roles
• Poor communication during periods of change
• Lack of support or recognition
• Exposure to threats, violence or traumatic events

CNESST guidance on work-related psychosocial risks confirms that these risks are part of the employer’s occupational health and safety responsibilities.

What changed

Employers must take reasonable measures to:

• identify psychosocial risks;
• assess their effects;
• document the risks and the planned measures;
• prevent, eliminate or control these risks;
• review and update their approach;
• involve workers or their representatives.

Prevention program or action plan

• 20 or more workers: a prevention program is required, along with a health and safety committee and a health and safety representative.
• Fewer than 20 workers: a written prevention action plan is required, along with a health and safety liaison officer.

In both cases, the approach must be specific to the workplace, concrete, and reviewed when the situation changes.

The harassment prevention policy is still mandatory

All employers must maintain a written policy on the prevention of psychological and sexual harassment and on the handling of complaints or reports. The policy must explain the reporting steps, the confidentiality rules, each person’s responsibilities and how situations will be handled. It must be integrated into the prevention program or action plan.

The CNESST model harassment prevention policy can serve as a starting point.

A simple, useful approach

A practical approach is to:

1. confirm whether the establishment has 20 or more workers, or fewer than 20;
2. review existing policies and prevention documents;
3. identify psychosocial risks with the participation of staff;
4. put concrete measures in place;
5. document the actions taken and review them regularly.

Worker participation matters. Employees are often the first to see overload, conflict, communication gaps or risky practices. Consultation must still be handled with care: where harassment, discrimination, violence or misconduct is involved, a separate and impartial process may be required.

When outside support can help

Specialized HR support can help when a complaint involves a manager or an executive, when trust in the internal process is low, when internal HR capacity is limited, or when a workplace investigation may be needed.

Revive RH|HR provides independent, confidential and bilingual HR support across Greater Montreal and throughout Quebec, including workplace investigations and sensitive labour relations matters. Contact us for a confidential consultation.