Little is known about the information recent immigrants receive as they enter the Canadian labour market. Are there resources aimed at newcomers that speak to their rights at work, including those surrounding workplace safety? Are materials available for newcomers to inform them of what to do in the event of an injury or how to successfully return to work if injured on the job? Are resources centred mainly in jurisdictions such as British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario, which have historically been common destinations for new immigrants? Are materials typically translated and, if so, into what languages?
In this plenary, Dr. Agnieszka Kosny and Marni Lifshen will talk about a project that helped answer these questions by examining the services, programs and resources available to newcomers to Canada that focus on employment standards, occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation. Kosny and Lifshen reviewed the local resources available through community organizations, employers, settlement groups and unions, as well as the resources available through provincial and federal prevention agencies and workers’ compensation boards. During the presentation, they will discuss trends in the types of resources available, identify important gaps, and highlight case studies of programs that present interesting opportunities for providing this information to newcomers.