Law 96 | Companies worried about their recruitment

Maxime Bergeron
The Press

More than 150 Quebec business leaders are asking the Legault government to “suspend” the application of “Law 96” on the protection of French. This diverse group includes producers of energy drinks, meat, eyewear and even fine lingerie from across the province.

These business people signed an open letter addressed to Prime Minister François Legault, published in mid-June by the Canadian Council of Innovators (CCI). The missive originally had 37 signatories, with 110 leaders added over the summer.

“I think it demonstrates the hasty aspect of this law, which worries all the CEOs who find themselves in this letter”, advances in interview Pierre-Philippe Lortie, director of the Quebec section of the CCI.

The first signatories came mainly from the world of information technologies, which the CCI represents. Among these, there are big names from Quebec inc. such as Eric Boyko (Stingray), Germain Lalonde (EXFO) and Louis Têtu (Coveo).

Those who have added their support come from more diverse industries. Among others, there are Carl Goyette (Guru Organic Energy), Antoine Amiel (Groupe Vision New Look), Christian Daigle (Frima), Maxime Lacroix (Viandes Lacroix) and Bill Haddad (from the fine lingerie manufacturer Montelle Intimates).

“Proud”, but worried

The signatories insist: they are “proud” of Francophone culture and support the “spirit” of “Law 96” – officially called An Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French – adopted in May 2022 by the National Assembly. They believe, however, that its application should be “paused” until Quebec presents all the francization tools that will be made available to them.

Their main fear? That too rapid deployment disadvantages Quebec companies in a context of exacerbated labor shortages. One of the most worrying elements of the law, they say, is the requirement that all newcomers will be required to communicate exclusively in French with the state within six months of their arrival.

“We have employees who come from all over the world and who are worried about the effects of this law on their professional life, on their family,” says Louis-Philippe Maurice, co-founder of the techno SME Busbud, which has around fifty employees. employees in Montreal.

Competition for the recruitment of skilled workers has become global, especially in the field of techno, and Quebec could lose its appeal by complicating the lives of newcomers, fears Mr. Maurice. He would have liked business people to be consulted more during the drafting of the law, and that they subsequently benefit from “the resources so that a law like this obtains the desired effect”.

Same story with Carl Goyette, president and CEO of Guru, a Montreal-based energy drink company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

“Quebec companies that innovate and aspire to be competitive on a global scale must be agile and able to recruit and work with the best candidates, regardless of their location in the world, he argues. The addition of restrictive rules only puts a spoke in the wheel by reducing the competitiveness of Quebec businesses, and this, while in no way improving the situation of French in Quebec. »

Mathieu Allaire, president of the Sherbrooke scheduling software company Agendrix, also fears the effects of the law on attracting workers.

“As the petition indicates, I find the protection of French important,” he said. At Agendrix, more than 90% of our clientele is French-speaking and we also communicate only in French internally. However, I am of the opinion that certain variables of the law must be adapted to the reality of the current economy and labor market so that Quebec remains attractive in terms of talent. »

D-Box Technologies, which designs mechanized seats for movie theaters exported around the world, fears the administrative burden that will result from the rapid implementation of the law. The new requirements risk weighing on the finances of the group listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, damaged by two and a half years of pandemic, fears Stéphane Vidal, vice-president, products and brand, of the Longueuil company.

“A company like D-Box, if we spend 5% of our time taking regulatory actions to comply with the law, that affects us more than larger companies,” he explains. It’s fast, it’s very demanding, and it doesn’t give us a lot of time to turn around and conform. »

Jolin-Barrette defends his law

In interview with The PressSimon Jolin-Barrette, outgoing Minister of Justice and responsible for the French language who will try to be re-elected on October 3 in the riding of Borduas, minimizes the fears of the business community.

“We are making an orderly transition, we are going to support companies, and I want to reassure them: there is no need to panic, he argues. Everything will be done in order and we will above all support the companies well, so their fears are unfounded. »

Without quantifying them, he assures that the future organization Francisation Québec will be equipped with all the necessary resources to support newcomers when all the provisions of the law come into force. He further believes that “a lot of misinformation” has surrounded this law.

“What is targeted, in particular by law 96, is to ensure that the workplace takes place in French, he insists. And everyone in the company has to make an effort. As a society, as we saw with the figures from the last census, French is in steep decline, there is a danger for the survival of French, so all sectors of activity in society must do their part. »

Law 96, very vast, came to modify the Charter of the French language and twenty other laws. Some provisions entered into force last June and others will be implemented gradually by mid-2025.