How do I file a labour standards complaint with the CNESST?

✓ Verified answer Written from official pages, with checked citations and a verification date.

General information, not legal advice. You can file a labour standards complaint with the CNESST, for example if your employer does not pay your wages or other amounts set by law, if you are the victim of a prohibited practice, or if you believe you were dismissed without a valid reason. You start with the eligibility questionnaire on the CNESST website, which directs you to the right path (a PDF form or an online questionnaire). Time limits range from 45 days to 2 years depending on the reason: it is best to act as soon as possible.

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Key facts

Reasons for a complaint: Unpaid wages or amounts, dismissal without good and sufficient cause, psychological or sexual harassment, prohibited practice, difference in working conditions based on hiring date, change of employee status.
Time limits: From 45 days to 2 years from the date of the event. Wages: one year from when the amounts were due. Prohibited practice: 45 days after the dismissal or sanction (certain retirement cases have a different time limit: see the official page).
Where to file: The eligibility questionnaire "Déposer une plainte" on the CNESST website.
Cost: Free mediation; no fees if you are represented by a CNESST lawyer.
Reporting without a complaint: To report a situation you witnessed, including anonymously: 1 844 838-0808, option "Normes du travail".

Your procedure, step by step

Start the official procedure Official page: Filing a complaint (CNESST) (opens in a new tab)https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/fr/service-clientele/plaintes-recours/depot-plainte

Identify your reason. The CNESST handles labour standards complaints for: unpaid wages or other amounts, dismissal without good and sufficient cause, psychological or sexual harassment, a prohibited practice (sanction, discriminatory measure or reprisal), a difference in working conditions based on the hiring date, and an unfair change of employee status. For dismissal and harassment, also see the neighbouring pages.
Check the time limit. It ranges from 45 days to 2 years from the date of the event. For a wage-related complaint, you have one year from when the amounts were due; for a prohibited practice, the complaint must be filed within 45 days of the dismissal or sanction.
If you are thinking of filing a complaint against your employer, first ask to meet them to clarify the situation and try to settle the problem. If that does not work, file your complaint as soon as possible.
Prepare your information: write down the facts, gather your evidence and keep, for example, your pay stub, your work schedule or the details of your hours worked, your record of employment or your tax slip.
Fill out the eligibility questionnaire "Déposer une plainte" (file a complaint) on the CNESST website. If it validates your request, you are directed to the appropriate path (a PDF form or an online questionnaire). The complaint is officially filed once the path is completed. If you cannot complete it, contact the CNESST.
After you file, the CNESST contacts you to check whether the complaint is admissible. If it can act on it, it first tries to settle the disagreement by contacting the employer, and it offers a free mediation service. For a wage-related complaint, an investigation may follow if the employer refuses to pay.
If your complaint is not accepted, or if the investigation finds it unfounded, you have 30 days to ask for a review by filling out the "Demande de révision de la décision" form. If no agreement is possible, the CNESST may hand your complaint to a CNESST lawyer, at no cost to you, or you can hire a lawyer of your choice at your own expense.

Start the official procedure Official page: Filing a complaint (CNESST) (opens in a new tab)https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/fr/service-clientele/plaintes-recours/depot-plainte

Your progress is kept on this device only: nothing is sent to Demande au Québec. Some steps only apply in certain situations: skip the ones that do not concern you.

General information drawn from official sources. It does not replace legal, medical or financial advice. For your situation, contact the organization concerned or a professional.

Sources

Situations justifiant le dépôt d’une plainte (CNESST)
Dépôt d'une plainte (CNESST)
Plaintes en normes du travail (CNESST)
Plainte liée au salaire (CNESST)
Plainte pour pratique interdite (CNESST)

Checked on October 6, 2026. Rules, deadlines and fees can change: always confirm on the official page above. Demande au Québec is an independent website, not a government site.

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