Commercial housekeeping subcontracting
Did you know? In Quebec, we have a Joint Committee for Public Buildings that manages the salaries of housekeeping employees and team leaders. A manager of a housekeeping company or employment agency therefore cannot offer you the salary of their choice. In this article, we're going to set the record straight on the subject of subcontracting in particular. This joint committee takes precedence over most labor standards.
Is it mandatory to pay an employee at the Joint Committee rate in Quebec?
Yes and no!
- Yes, If you are an intermediary between an employee and a building. This applies to cleaning companies, employment agencies, other subcontractors, etc. In addition, even if the name of the organization refers to public buildings, it also applies to private buildings such as a food factory, an office building, a construction site trailer, etc.
- No, if you work directly for the building manager (other than the cleaning company. However, you may have difficulty finding employees if you do not pay them the minimum of what an employee could have with the Joint Committee.
What is the role of the Joint Committee apart from managing salaries?
- Administer and monitor the application of the decree
- Receive complaints in case of violation of the decree
- Conduct investigations and inspections at workplaces and at the employer's head office
- Claiming from employers what is owed to employees
- Defend in court the employee whose rights are not respected
- Inform the employer and employee of their rights, duties and obligations.
Powers of the Joint Committee
The Joint Committee has the power to visit the employer's workplace and head office to speak to and question your employees. It also has the power to request to see the payroll and any documents related to the application of the Housekeeping Decree. For example, if you do housekeeping, it does not have the power to see the payroll of employees not subject to the Joint Committee.
He may impose a charge of 20% on the amounts claimed in the event of a fault following his investigation. However, You have every right to verify the claim and rectify any inaccurate information.
The Joint Committee also has the right to demand to see the invoicing of the contractor's subcontractors as well as to see the monthly bank statement including checks to suppliers and subcontractors.
Please note that all Joint Committees are supervised by the Quebec Ministry of Labour. In fact, there have been several examples of non-compliance with ethics and professional conduct have taken place. Currently, a class action request has been filed. You will also find a article from the newspaper La Presse on the subject. I myself have spoken with companies that have suffered unfortunate abuses of power. It is very sad because at its core, the existence of this Committee is positive for our field. You can also read two other articles about the Joint Committee for the maintenance of public buildings and Radiem. So I'll leave you to do your own research on this.
A simple calculation question
So, if you've read the information above carefully, there's a minimum hourly rate to pay. Let's take a simple example.
As of January 1, 2022: Social security contributions charged to
- Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) : 6,40 %
- Employment Insurance (EI): 1,78 %
- Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP): 0,692 %
- Health Services Fund (HSF): 2,50 %
- Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST):
– Labor standards: 0.06 %
– Occupational Health and Safety Fund: 1.50 % - Holiday pay: 6.00 % (Joint committee for the maintenance of public buildings after 1 year of service.)
In addition to these rates, you will also need to add
- Decree rate 0.50%
- Sick time
- Public holidays
- RRSP
- As well as 1% of the payroll in training.
An approximate total (depending on your CNESST rate) of more than 27%
An employee will therefore cost the minimum
- $25.79 per hour (Class B Montreal metropolitan area since September 4, 2023)
- $25.91 per hour (Class B Quebec Region, from November 1, 2023)
On top of that, you'll need to add products, equipment, administrative costs, and a profit!
So, please, calculate your costs carefully before accepting any "nice contract". Stop getting ripped off and become responsible for your income with full knowledge of the facts.
Documentary reference
- Montreal region decree
- Quebec region decree
- Social security contributions charged to the employer for the year 2023
Available training courses
Please note that CF Salubrité has been offering three training courses specifically for entrepreneurs for several years, the details of which you can see below. Why do I offer this type of training? Because I believe in people! Everyone is capable of success by having the right work tools. And let's say that this is my small additional contribution to this sector of activity!
- Bidding and sales calculation techniques: You'll learn how to calculate your contract costs, build your contractor brand, and more.
- The Sales and Marketing Workshop is the part that will teach you how to find year-round housekeeping contracts and no longer depend on people who often abuse subcontractors.
- The FOCUS workshop, objectives and action plan who will help you achieve all your annual goals with the help of a mentor. (November 27, 2023 for this next activity)
