Quebec, which has no minimum working age, is considering legislation to better regulate child labour as authorities say they're troubled by how many preteens are in the job market.
On Tuesday, Minister of Labour and Employment Jean Boulet was asked to comment on the fact that more and more youngsters between the ages of 11 and 14 are getting jobs.
He said, in response to Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy, that the situation was not "normal" and that he had sought advice from groups such as labour and business associations.
The Advisory Committee on Labour and the Workforce is also expected to give him its recommendations, he said.
"If there is a need for legislative intervention, it will be done at the appropriate time," said Boulet.
He asked Tuesday for a time of "reflection" on this "extremely important" issue that he said "worries him enormously" in the context of the current labour shortage.
While the province has no minimum working age, under the Labour Standards Act, a person under the age of 14 must have parental consent to work.
"Do you think it's normal to read that 11-year-old Amanda is working between 12 and 18 hours a week?" asked Rizqy, who said she's concerned about the risk of children dropping out of school.
"At the moment, it has almost doubled in all regions, the dropout rate," she said.
Rizqy, the MNA for Saint-Laurent, noted that other provinces have brought in regulations, including British Columbia, which has raised the minimum age for employment from 12 to 16, with some exceptions.
Quebec still imposes "significant" obligations for employers to ensure the health and safety of young people, Boulet said. People employing youth are subject to "increased monitoring."
"It is clearly intended that an employer not exceed the capabilities of the child, and not impact on his or her social or moral development," he said.
Under the Education Act, a person 16 or younger who has not graduated cannot work during school hours.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 31, 2022.
