Quebec’s child protection services were extensively restructured in the wake of the two latest reforms to the healthcare and social services system. Strongly inspired by the principles of new public management, the reforms, overseen successively by ministers Philippe Couillard (2004) and Gaétan Barrette (2013), were carried out to boost productivity and cut the costs of healthcare and social services. Today, studies show they also had several negative impacts on workers, notably in connection with the intensification of work and the degradation of working conditions. Analysis shows that the emotional difficulties of child protection workers are affecting their relationships on the job with managers and also with co-workers, the latter relationships being perceived as conflict-prone and lacking in cooperation and mutual assistance. This is typical of work groups that have become weaker and less able to protect worker health.