Answering an employer's invitation: accept, decline or ask your questions

By Mathieu Ouellet · Published October 29, 2026 · 7 min read

An employer wants to talk to you, but they know neither your name nor your number. Until you say yes, they won't. What exactly happens when you accept their invitation, decline it or let it pass? Here is what each answer triggers, and the three questions to settle before saying yes to the job itself.

What an invitation is, and why the employer doesn't know who you are

On GPP Emploi, your name and cell number are encrypted and hidden. In the profile bank, the employer sees only an anonymous profile: your trades, your region, your availability and your cards. If they think you are a fit, they cannot call you: they have to invite you. The invitation is valid for 7 days. You receive it by email, and by text if you chose that in your alerts (never at night).

To invite you, the employer must have the credits for one contact in their account, but they are charged only if you accept. For you, everything is free, always: accepting, declining or letting it pass costs you nothing. The invitation also shows a match score out of 100, always explained. It is calculated from six criteria, and nothing else (not age, sex or origin):

Criterion	Points	What it tells you
Trade	35	Does the job match what you know how to do?
Location	20	Is the work in the area you indicated?
Availability	15	Does the schedule overlap with yours?
Cards	15	Do you have the required cards and licences?
Pay	10	Does the offered wage meet your expectations?
Working languages	5	Do you speak the language of the workplace?

Read the breakdown before you decide. A score of 80 that loses its points on location is not the same problem as an 80 that loses them on pay: in the first case, the question is the commute; in the second, it is the wage.

Accepting: exactly what happens

When you accept, your name and cell number are passed on to that employer, and to that employer only. Other businesses browsing the bank still see your anonymous profile. The conversation then continues on the platform, where you can find your exchanges under your applications and invitations.

Accepting an invitation means accepting the contact, not signing an employment contract. You are not yet committing to start on Monday: you are giving the employer a way to talk to you. The job itself is decided afterwards, once the terms are clear. That is when you ask the three questions below.

One point worth knowing: if you are hired and do not show up on the first day, the employer can report it. You are then asked to confirm or dispute. If you confirm, the employer's credits are refunded; if you dispute, our team decides. If you change your mind before starting, tell the employer rather than disappearing.

Declining or letting it pass: what the employer will never know

If you decline, the employer will never know who you are. Your name and number are not passed on. That is the whole point of an anonymous profile: you can say no without awkwardness, and without worrying about running into the employer at the corner store.

Letting the 7 days pass without answering has the same effect on your contact details: they are passed on only to an employer you have accepted. But a clear no is more useful than silence, for you and for them.

Your answer	Your contact details	For the employer
Accept	Name and cell number passed on to that employer only	Their credits are charged; they can reach you
Decline	Stay hidden	They will never know who you are; nothing is charged
No answer within 7 days	Stay hidden	The invitation is no longer valid; nothing is charged

If you often decline for the same reason, fix your profile. Too far? Adjust your location. Wrong hours? Update your availability. Too many so-so invitations? Raise your alert threshold, adjustable from 50% to 90%. An accurate profile brings you fewer invitations, but better ones.

The three questions to ask before saying yes to the job

Once the contact is accepted, three questions prevent most bad surprises in the service trades. Ask them before confirming your first day, ideally in writing on the platform, so you keep a record.

1. How much, how and when will I be paid?

Ask for the exact hourly rate, the number of hours planned per week and how often you will be paid. A few benchmarks from Quebec's Act respecting labour standards: since May 1, 2026, the general minimum wage is $16.60 an hour ($13.30 for employees who receive tips). Wages must be paid at regular intervals of no more than 16 days, with exceptions such as managers, who may be paid monthly (s. 43). The employer must provide a pay slip showing the hours, rate, deductions and net pay (s. 46). In snow removal or moving, where big weeks come fast, also ask how hours beyond 40 are handled: the law provides a 50% premium beyond the regular 40-hour work week (ss. 52 and 55), subject to exceptions. Details are in Overtime: when is it paid at time and a half?.

2. Will I be an employee or self-employed?

On GPP Emploi, an "Offre d'emploi" (job offer) is for an employee: the employer sets the schedule and directs the work. A "Demande de soumission" (quote request) is for a result to deliver, priced by the self-employed worker. The difference matters: labour standards protections, payroll deductions, taxes to collect. According to Revenu Québec, the main criterion is subordination: who controls the methods, the schedule and the place of work. Then come financial risk, ownership of tools, integration into the business and the result to deliver. What counts is how the work really happens, not the label on the contract. To dig deeper: Employee or self-employed? The criteria that matter in Quebec.

3. What schedule, where, and with what equipment?

Ask for the real start time (a snow removal worker can be called at 3 a.m.), the meeting point, transportation between sites and what you have to supply. If the employer requires a particular garment, such as a uniform, they must provide it free of charge to an employee paid minimum wage, and they cannot require any amount that would bring your pay below the minimum (s. 85). In housekeeping or landscaping, ask who supplies the products, the tools and the safety boots.

Asking your questions without seeming difficult, and spotting red flags

A serious employer expects these questions. They show that you take the job seriously and plan to stay. Tone makes the difference: ask them as planning questions, not as demands. For example:

"So I can plan, what is the hourly rate and how many hours are planned per week?"
"Will I be on the company's payroll, with a pay slip, or on contract?"
"What time does a typical day start, and where is the starting point?"
"What do I need to bring, and what is supplied?"

Some answers should make you slow down. A rate under $16.60 an hour for an employee position, a "we'll sort out pay later", a refusal to provide a pay slip, or a request to pay to get the job are red flags. Every offer posted on GPP Emploi is checked automatically before publication (minimum wage, discriminatory criteria, signs of fraud), and businesses verified by our team (NEQ at the Registraire des entreprises, RBQ licence in the public register) display a "verified" badge. These checks do not replace your questions. If you have doubts about your rights in a specific situation, the CNESST is the body to contact.

In short

An invitation is a door left ajar, not a commitment. For the rest of your search, see Finding a job without a résumé in Quebec: the complete guide, and the privacy policy to learn how your information is protected. No profile yet? Create one for free, no résumé needed.

The employer sees an anonymous profile; the invitation is valid for 7 days and costs you nothing.
Accepting passes your name and cell number to that employer only; it is a contact, not yet a job.
Decline or let it pass: the employer will never know who you are.
Before saying yes to the job: pay (at least $16.60 an hour, every 16 days at most, with a pay slip), status (employee or self-employed), and schedule, location and equipment.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to answer an employer's invitation?

On GPP Emploi, an invitation is valid for 7 days. You receive it by email, and by text if you turned on that alert. After that, the invitation is no longer valid and your contact details stay hidden.

If I decline an invitation, does the employer know who I am?

No. Your name and cell number are encrypted and hidden, and they are passed on only to an employer whose invitation you accepted. If you decline, the employer will never know who you are.

Does accepting an invitation mean I have to take the job?

Accepting the invitation means accepting the contact: the employer receives your name and cell number to discuss the job with you. The job itself is decided afterwards, once the terms are clear. If you change your mind, tell the employer instead of not showing up.

What is the minimum wage in Quebec in 2026?

Since May 1, 2026, the general minimum wage is $16.60 an hour, and $13.30 for employees who receive tips. An employee position offered below that rate is a red flag. For a specific situation, contact the CNESST.

Does it cost anything to accept an invitation?

No. For workers, GPP Emploi is free, always: creating your profile, receiving invitations, accepting or declining them. The employer pays, and only when you accept their invitation.