RBQ glossary: letter R

R-20 Act (Loi R-20)

The usual name of the Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry. It governs sector-based bargaining of collective agreements, workforce competency, hiring and employers’ duties, under the supervision of the CCQ. It is provided at the Administration exam, as are its regulations R-20, r. 5 and R-20, r. 8.

See also: Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), Sector collective agreement (convention collective sectorielle), Competency certificate (certificat de compétence), Construction sectors (secteurs de la construction)

Administration examDocuments provided at the RBQ examsSource: LégisQuébec, R-20, art. 4

Re-assignment of a pregnant worker (retrait préventif de la travailleuse enceinte)

A pregnant worker may ask for duties that pose no danger to her unborn child or, because of her pregnancy, to herself, by giving the employer the certificate prescribed by the CNESST (LSST, s. 40). The certificate is issued by the professional who follows her pregnancy (s. 40.1). If she is not re-assigned immediately, she may stop working until the re-assignment is made or until she gives birth (s. 41), and she keeps the benefits attached to her employment (s. 43).

See also: Protective re-assignment (retrait préventif), Income replacement indemnity (indemnité de remplacement du revenu), CNESST (Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail)

Safety management examSource: LégisQuébec, S-2.1, art. 40

Recognized training attestation

Proof that you completed a training program the RBQ recognizes in a field. It exempts you from the exam in that field (s. 20). Since January 2023, only attestations issued from 2014 onward are accepted. Having a training recognized costs $105.27 (2026 fee).

RBQ licence without an examRBQ courses in EnglishSource: RBQ, recognized training programs

Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ)

The public body established by the Building Act (s. 87). Its mission is to supervise the administration of that Act, particularly to protect the public (s. 110). It controls the competence, integrity and solvency of contractors and owner-builders, among other ways through the licence exams, and adopts the Construction Code and the Safety Code. The official English texts call it “the Board”.

See also: Building Act (Loi sur le bâtiment), Contractor’s licence (licence RBQ), Construction Code, chapter I (Building), Safety Code (Code de sécurité)

How to get an RBQ licenceSource: LégisQuébec, B-1.1, art. 110

Rehabilitation (réadaptation)

A worker left with a permanent physical or mental impairment after an employment injury is entitled to rehabilitation, which may be physical, social and vocational (LATMP, ss. 1 and 146). The CNESST prepares an individualized rehabilitation plan with the worker, and with the employer where needed. Measures may also be offered as soon as the claim is accepted, before consolidation, to support reintegration (s. 145).

See also: Suitable employment (emploi convenable), Right to return to work (droit de retour au travail), Compensation for bodily injury (indemnité pour préjudice corporel)

Safety management examSource: LégisQuébec, A-3.001, art. 146

Representative association (association représentative)

A union association to which the CCQ has issued a representativeness certificate after the employees’ vote (ss. 1 and 34 of the R-20 Act). Five groups may have their representativeness recognized: CSD-Construction, CSN-Construction, the Conseil provincial (International), FTQ-Construction and the SQC. Their weight in bargaining depends on the percentage of employees who chose them.

See also: Sector collective agreement (convention collective sectorielle), Association of Building Contractors of Québec (AECQ), R-20 Act (Loi R-20)

Administration examSource: LégisQuébec, R-20, art. 28

Restricted licence (licence restreinte)

A licence on which the RBQ indicates a restriction as regards obtaining a public contract, in particular after certain convictions of the holder or an officer within the last five years (s. 65.1 of the Building Act). The holder may not tender for or enter into a public contract, and no contractor may give them a subcontract related to one (ss. 65.2 and 65.3). An authorization from the Autorité des marchés publics lifts the restriction (s. 65.1.0.2).

See also: Contractor’s licence (licence RBQ), Suspension and cancellation of a licence (suspension et annulation de licence), Call for tenders (appel d’offres), Tender (soumission)

How to get an RBQ licenceSource: LégisQuébec, B-1.1, art. 65.1

Retrospective adjustment of the assessment (régime rétrospectif)

The rating method for very large businesses, also called retrospective rating: the CNESST adjusts the employer’s annual assessment after the fact, according to the cost of the injuries it bears (LATMP, s. 314). The calculation goes through two provisional adjustments and then a final one, and can lead to a refund or an amount owing (s. 314.2).

See also: Personalized rate (taux personnalisé), CNESST assessment (cotisation), Unit of classification (unité de classification)

Safety management examSource: LégisQuébec, A-3.001, art. 314

Review of a CNESST decision (révision administrative)

An internal remedy at the CNESST: a person who believes he or she has been wronged by a decision made under the LATMP may apply in writing for its review within 30 days of notification (ss. 358 and 358.1). Some matters are excluded, such as medical questions on which the CNESST is bound. The decision made after review can then be contested before the Administrative Labour Tribunal within 60 days (s. 359).

See also: Administrative Labour Tribunal (Tribunal administratif du travail), Bureau d’évaluation médicale (BEM), CNESST (Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail)

Safety management examSource: LégisQuébec, A-3.001, art. 358

Right to refuse (droit de refus)

A worker’s right to refuse to perform work if he or she has reasonable grounds to believe it would expose him or her, or another person, to danger (LSST, s. 12). The right cannot be used if the refusal puts another person in immediate danger, or if the conditions are normal for that kind of work (s. 13). The refusal is first examined with the health and safety representative, then a CNESST inspector decides if the disagreement continues (ss. 15 to 19).

See also: Worker’s obligations (obligations du travailleur), Health and safety representative (représentant en santé et en sécurité), CNESST inspector (inspecteur)

Safety management examSource: LégisQuébec, S-2.1, art. 12

Right to return to work (droit de retour au travail)

A worker who is again able to carry on the employment may be reinstated in it by preference, or in equivalent employment with the employer (LATMP, s. 236). The right is exercised within 1 year or 2 years from the start of the absence, depending on whether the establishment has 20 workers or fewer, or more than 20 (s. 240). A construction employee is reinstated with the employer subject to the industry’s hiring rules, and the CCQ renews the worker’s certificate even if the injury left him or her short of the required hours (ss. 248 and 249).

See also: Temporary assignment of work (assignation temporaire), Rehabilitation (réadaptation), Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ)

Safety management examSource: LégisQuébec, A-3.001, art. 236

Definitions written by RBQexam from the statutes and the RBQ’s pages, without reproducing their text. If in doubt, the official source prevails.