Security guards' decree in Quebec: your rights explained
Quebec's security guards' decree: who is covered, 2026 rates, overtime, vacation, holidays, uniform, notice and complaints to the Comité paritaire.
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In Quebec, the security guards' decree sets the minimum working conditions of security agency guards: pay, overtime, vacation, statutory holidays, uniform and notice. Whether you work for a large agency or a small company, these rules protect you. Here are its rules, section by section, in plain language.
What is the security guards' decree?
Its official name is the Decree respecting security guards (CQLR, chapter D-2, r. 1). It stems from the Act respecting collective agreement decrees, which allows the government to extend certain clauses of a collective agreement to all employers and all employees in a sector, unionized or not.
In practice, the Decree mostly takes up the "monetary" clauses: wages, leave, overtime. The goal is to keep working conditions from becoming a point of competition between agencies. In security, a first decree was adopted for the Quebec City region in 1980, then for the Montreal region in 1981. The two were merged in 1984.
The current Decree remains in force until July 4, 2027. After that, it renews automatically from year to year, unless one of the parties objects.
Who is covered by the Decree?
The Decree applies everywhere in Quebec. It covers security agencies and their employees, meaning the people who, on behalf of an agency, do guarding, surveillance or protection work: watching over people, property or premises, searching, patrolling, directing traffic, preventing shoplifting, fire or vandalism, and so on.
It distinguishes two main classes:
- Class A: the guard who does security work (there is also a Class A on call, with no fixed schedule)
- Class B: the person responsible for directing or supervising other guards.
Who is not covered?
The Decree excludes, among others:
- police officers and other peace officers
- investigation agents who do investigation work within the meaning of the Private Security Act
- employees of governments, municipalities and school service centres
- guards who do security work only for their own employer ("in-house" security, outside an agency)
- road traffic control workers, who have their own decree.
The Decree does not replace the licence: to work, you must first hold a security guard licence issued by the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), Quebec's private security regulator.
What is the Comité paritaire des agents de sécurité?
The Comité paritaire des agents de sécurité (CPAS) is a self-funded non-profit organization that administers and enforces the Decree. "Paritaire" (parity) refers to its makeup: it brings together representatives of the employer and union parties that signed the agreement behind the Decree.
Its mandate includes:
- informing guards and employers of their rights and obligations
- receiving complaints and carrying out inspections, including at the employer's head office
- claiming from employers the amounts owed to employees
- defending employees before the courts and suing employers at fault.
Every employer subject to the Decree must also send it a monthly payroll report, which lets the committee check compliance.
What is the minimum hourly rate under the Decree?
The Decree sets minimum rates: the employer can pay more, never less.
| Effective | Class A | Class B |
|---|---|---|
| June 29, 2025 | $20.09 | $20.34 |
| June 28, 2026 (in force) | $20.60 | $20.85 |
| July 4, 2027 (next increase) | $21.10 | $21.35 |
Hourly premiums are added to this rate (night, firearm, health care setting, first aid and so on). We cover them in detail in our article on the premiums in the security guards' decree, and the history of the rates is in the security guard minimum rate in 2026.
How is a security guard's overtime paid?
The regular workweek is 40 hours. Beyond that, each hour is paid with a 50% increase (time and a half). A few useful details:
- The increase applies to the wage actually paid, but most hourly premiums are not part of it. Only some of them (including the customer service premium) are included in the calculation.
- Hours worked on top of your shift, when they are mandatory for more than 4 hours, also count as overtime.
- A permanent A-01 guard who works more than 6 days in a row is paid overtime starting on the 7th day, even without having gone over 40 hours (the rule is different in the mining sector with lodging).
- Paid vacation days and paid statutory holidays count as days worked when calculating the 40 hours.
The employer can stagger the hours over a maximum of 4 weeks (the average must stay at 40 hours), but only on strict conditions: the agreement of the employees concerned, a benefit in exchange, a specific contract, a maximum duration of one year and written notice to the Comité paritaire at least 60 days before.
Call-back to work and meals
If the employer calls you in and you work fewer than 4 consecutive hours, you are entitled to at least 4 hours of pay. For meals, the Decree provides 30 paid minutes per 5-hour work period.
How many weeks of vacation does a security guard get?
The length of your vacation depends on your uninterrupted service with the same employer at the end of the reference year. The indemnity is 6% of gross earnings in every case.
| Uninterrupted service | Annual leave | Indemnity |
|---|---|---|
| Less than one year | 1 working day per month, up to 10 days | 6% of earnings |
| 1 year to less than 3 years | 2 continuous weeks (a 3rd week without pay on request) | 6% of earnings |
| 3 years to less than 10 years | 3 continuous weeks | 6% of earnings |
| 10 years or more | 4 weeks, including 3 continuous | 6% of earnings |
Other rules to know: you have the right to know the date of your vacation at least 4 weeks in advance. The indemnity is paid in a single payment before you leave. Vacation cannot be carried over from one year to the next. On written request 30 days in advance, you can be paid for the weeks beyond the first 2.
What are the statutory holidays for security guards?
In addition to the National Holiday (June 24), the Decree provides 8 statutory general holidays: January 1, Good Friday, the Monday preceding May 25, July 1, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day and December 25.
- Indemnity: 1/20 of the wages earned during the 4 complete weeks of pay before the holiday, premiums included, but without overtime.
- If you work that day: you receive your wages for the hours worked, plus the indemnity, or else a compensatory holiday of equivalent length.
- Condition: you must not have been absent without a valid reason on the working day before or after the holiday.
Working on a statutory holiday does not also give you the right to time and a half.
Who pays for a security guard's uniform?
The employer pays for the uniform and equipment it requires, except for socks, belts and ordinary shoes (required safety footwear is supplied). Each year, it must supply at least 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants, and, if the work requires it, a winter coat with a hood as well as a raincoat and a rain hat. For permanent A-01 guards, the renewal is done with new clothing. No deduction from pay is allowed for the uniform.
What notice must the employer give?
Before ending your employment or laying you off for 6 months or more, the employer must give you written notice, as soon as you have 3 months of uninterrupted service:
| Uninterrupted service | Notice |
|---|---|
| Less than one year | 1 week |
| 1 year to 5 years | 2 weeks |
| 5 to 10 years | 4 weeks |
| 10 years or more | 8 weeks |
Without sufficient notice, the employer must pay an equivalent indemnity. For a layoff of less than 6 months, notice of at least 1 week is required (with exceptions, such as the casual A-04 guard). The notice does not apply in a case of serious fault, in a case of superior force or at the end of a fixed-term contract. At the end of any employment, you can also require a work certificate, which cannot pass judgment on your work or your conduct.
How do you file a complaint with the Comité paritaire?
Do you think you are paid below the Decree's rate, or are not getting your overtime or your vacation indemnity? The process is simple:
- fill out the Comité paritaire's online complaint form
- you receive a confirmation letter in the days that follow
- an inspector reviews the file and contacts you.
Complaints are confidential (section 24 of the Act respecting collective agreement decrees) and the Act provides penalties against an employer who takes reprisals. You can also call the committee at 514-493-9105 or 1-800-361-5442. Keep your pay stubs and write down your hours: they are your best evidence.
For the full picture of pay in the trade, see our page on security guard salary and the Decree. Just starting out? Read how to become a security guard in Quebec.
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Frequently asked questions
Which law governs security guards in Quebec?
In Quebec, two texts govern security guards. The Private Security Act regulates the occupation: it establishes the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), which issues the agent licence. The Decree respecting security guards (CQLR, chapter D-2, r. 1), which stems from the Act respecting collective agreement decrees, sets the minimum working conditions of security agency guards.
Does the Decree apply if I am not unionized?
Yes. It applies to all employees of security agencies in Quebec, unionized or not.
Can my employer pay me less than $20.60 an hour?
No, not a Class A guard since June 28, 2026. The rate will rise to $21.10 on July 4, 2027.
Am I entitled to time and a half after 8 hours in a day?
Not automatically: the calculation is based on the 40-hour week. Only mandatory hours added to a shift for more than 4 hours are treated as overtime.
Is an in-house security guard covered?
No. If you do security work only for your own employer (and not for an agency), the Decree does not apply. The general labour standards apply instead.
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