What are the rules for servers in Quebec?
The short answer
Quebec at a glance
| General minimum wage | $16.60 since May 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Special rates | Tipped-worker minimum: $13.30 an hour, for people who usually receive tips in restaurants (not places where customers order at a counter and pay before eating), off-premises meal businesses, rooms serving alcohol, and tourist accommodation. |
| Are your tips protected? | Yes. Act respecting labour standards, s. 50: a tip belongs to the employee. The employer canât impose a tip-sharing arrangement; one needs the agreement of a majority of employees. |
| Sick days | Up to 26 weeks of protected absence for illness in 12 months. Itâs unpaid except for the first 2 days per calendar year, which need 3 months of uninterrupted service and are shared with family and other reasons. |
| Breaks | An unpaid 30-minute meal break after 5 consecutive hours; paid if you must stay at your workstation. Other breaks arenât required, but if your employer gives them, they must be paid. |
What servers earn: Job Bank reports a median of $20.00 an hour for food and beverage servers (NOC 65200) in Quebec. Job Bank says these figures include tips; theyâre workersâ usual wages.
Whatâs different in Quebec
The lower rate has limits. The $13.30 tipped minimum only applies to people who usually receive tips in a restaurant (not a place where customers order at a counter and pay before eating), a business that sells or delivers meals to eat elsewhere, a room serving alcohol on site, or tourist accommodation. Your employer pays it without counting tips. Everyone else gets at least $16.60.
Staff decide on sharing. Here the employer canât set up a tip-sharing arrangement or interfere in one. It exists only if a majority of the employees entitled to tips freely agree, and once itâs in place a new hire has to follow it. The employer canât keep any tips, even to cover a short cash drawer or a broken plate.
Tips raise your paid leave. Revenu QuĂŠbec says vacation pay, statutory holiday pay and pay for family events are calculated on your base wage plus tips, which is one reason declaring your tips pays off. Your 2 paid days per calendar year need 3 months of uninterrupted service and are shared with family and other reasons, so a sick day may already be used up. Beyond those, you can be absent for illness up to 26 weeks in 12 months, unpaid.
Pay reported by servers. Job Bank reports a median of $20.00 an hour for food and beverage servers in Quebec. Job Bank says the figure includes tips and reflects workersâ usual wages.
Official sources
Last verified
. Checked the provincial pages above, the Government of Canada minimum wage database, and Job Bank 2025 wages.