[bilange]

> Quebec can zing you if you hire a Quebec resident and aren't prepared to allow them to work in French, even if they don't speak French themself.

For the uninitiated, this means having all UI elements in French, (OS, software, ...) as well as all things physical like keyboards signs, everything.

Even if for example I am perfectly capable (and actually prefer, to lookup errors messages online for example) of working in English, the OQLF still requires Quebec employees to be exposed to French language first and foremost, regardless of users preferences.

Source: IT Guy being on the receiving end of said directives.

[Dangeranger]

How are these regulations handled in a practical sense?

Are employees shipped equipment and served internationalized documentation that defaults to French, and then allowed to choose their preference afterwards for all services and applications?

[bilange]

The companies I worked for are headquartered in Quebec (with the exception of my current job), so I can only confidently comment for the "internal to Quebec" situations. I recently joined a company that was acquired by a bigger US company, and now all company wide communications are bilingual since then. ERP was already bilingual since the 90s as my direct employer is basically Canadian-wide.

I know the basis of these regulations is to give Quebec employees not fluent enough in English the power to ask/require a fully French environment. I BELIEVE this can escalate up to the OQLF being able to fine companies not being able to provide a French environment to their employees, but don't quote me on that.

As far as english language software is concerned, most Quebec employees have a varying degree of "letting go" on this matter when confronted to English messages, as long as their internal documentation/knowledge let them know what messages are considered normal in their work process, even if they don't understand fully what that means. The OQLF, however, believe this is a major problem to be dealt with yesterday: IT HAS to make available said software in their French version, if the software publisher actually publish a French version. If not, I believe you are encouraged (forced? not fully sure) to ask the software developer about availability.

Even if the software developper released a broken (or even partial!) French version using Google Translator, it becomes THE version to deploy, no buts.

[jleyank]

This might have a min-size component, but forbidding a Quebec resident from working in French is a Bad Thing. Language laws are onerous enough that some companies do not do business in or even deliver to Quebec. And their websites block transactions accordingly.

There’s all sorts of other Quebec/Canadian taxes and fees. Thought hiring contractors pushed the hassle onto them?