The Parti Québécois wants to increase the minimum paid vacation time workers receive, but small business advocates warn the change could add to their costs. Under the new measure, Quebec workers would soon get a minimum of three weeks of paid vacation after one year with the same employer. Currently, Quebec labour standards provide for two weeks of paid vacation after one year of continuous service, increasing to three weeks after three years. In a mandate letter to Labour Minister Mathieu Lebrun, Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon instructed him to fulfil the government’s electoral commitments, including establishing a three-week vacation minimum. The government also argued the change would have no impact on Quebec’s budget, since existing collective agreements already provide more generous vacation provisions. Added costs for small businesses François Vincent, vice-president for Quebec at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, warned the change would negatively impact smaller employers. “When you increase the minimum, it will have a domino effect,” Vincent said. “And some businesses, like the smallest ones, will have more difficulty giving more vacation days compared to bigger ones.” He said half of Quebec businesses have fewer than five employees, making it difficult to maintain operations when several workers take additional time off. With more than 1,000 job vacancies in Quebec, he said, finding replacement staff could be a challenge. For example, a business with four employees could have to cover three additional weeks of absences if three workers each took their newly available week off. Vincent said Quebec businesses already face significant regulatory requirements. “Because we are the province with a lot more requirements in the country by far,” he said. “And we are the province with the highest taxation for small businesses in Canada.” He argued the government should consider reducing other costs for small businesses to help offset the added expense. Vincent estimated an additional paid vacation week could cost employers more than $1,000 per employee, depending on the circumstances. Who stands to benefit most? Human resources specialist and owner of Réseau Annie RH, Annie Boilard, said younger workers and people changing careers could benefit most from the proposal. She explained that employees who have spent years with the same employer, or who have significant experience when changing jobs, often negotiate additional vacation time. Workers starting out, meanwhile, may have fewer opportunities to secure those benefits. Boilard said small businesses, including restaurants and hair salons, could face particular challenges because they often hire frequently and have many employees reaching their first year of service. Still, she described the proposed change as positive for workers’ overall health, mental health and job satisfaction. She cautioned, however, that not every employee would necessarily prefer additional vacation over higher pay. “At the end of the day, usually people don’t pay their grocery with vacation week, they pay their grocery with salaries,” she said. Boilard suggested giving employees the choice between additional vacation time and a salary increase could be an alternative. For some workers, the proposal would mean more time to recharge. For employers, the challenge would be finding a way to provide it while keeping their businesses running.
