Dr. Basak Yanar
Dr. Basak Yanar is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, and an assistant professor in the division of Social and Behavioural Health Sciences in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She holds a PhD in organizational behaviour and human resource management from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Yanar’s research focuses on migration, work, and occupational health and safety (OHS). She studies the working conditions of newcomers to Canada and the role played by employers, the settlement sector and the OHS prevention system in promoting safe work integration of recent immigrants and refugees. Her current program of research explores workplace health and safety within the context of linguistic and cultural diversity and how employers can foster inclusive safety practices. As a social scientist with disciplinary training in organizational behaviour, Yanar is also interested in the psychosocial work environment and the ways organizations can promote healthier and safer workplaces.
Yanar is a qualitative researcher with a keen interest in collaboration with community organizations, employers and system partners in developing solutions to improve the health and safety of immigrant workers.
![Photo of Basak Yanar](/sites/iwh/files/styles/portrait_hidpi/public/iwh/images/people/yanar_basak_2022.jpg?h=7fe3a1da&itok=4gMh7YVh)
“Thinking about occupational health and safety in Canada, it is impossible not to think of immigrant workers. As Canada continues to rely on immigration for its economic growth, we need to understand how to better promote safety in linguistically and culturally diverse workplaces, and address the vulnerable working conditions immigrants find themselves in, whether they have recently arrived or not.” – Dr. Basak Yanar
Projects
- Understanding how new businesses start managing OHS: laying the groundwork for future interventions . Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Understanding OHS motivations and needs in small business . Funded by Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Estimating the financial benefits of OHS prevention expenditures: a study of Ontario employers. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Completed.
- Role of employers and settlement agencies in safe employment integration. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Strengthening disability management in Ontario’s municipal sector. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Signature Initiative. Completed.
Publications
- Yanar B, Robson LS, Tonima S, Amick B. Understanding the organizational performance metric, an occupational health and safety management tool, through workplace case studies. International Journal of Workplace Health Management. 2020;13(2):117-138. doi:10.1108/IJWHM-09-2018-0126.
- Premji S, Kosny A, Yanar B, Begum M. Tool for the meaningful consideration of language barriers in qualitative health research. Qualitative Health Research. 2020;30(2):167-181. doi:10.1177/1049732319856303.
- Jetha A, Yanar B, Lay M, Mustard C. Work disability management communication bottlenecks within large and complex public service organizations: a sociotechnical systems study. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2019;29(4):754-763. doi:10.1007/s10926-019-09836-3.
- Yanar B, Amick B, Lambraki I, D'Elia T, Severin C, Van Eerd D. How are leaders using benchmarking information in occupational health and safety decision-making?. Safety Science. 2019;116:245-253. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2019.03.016.
- Yanar B, Kosny A, Lifshen M. Perceived role and expectations of health care providers in return to work. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2019;29(1):212-221. doi:10.1007/s10926-018-9781-y.
Speaker Series presentations
- Understanding OHS motivations and needs in small businesses. IWH Speaker Series. March 19, 2024.
- Estimating the financial benefits of OHS spending: a study of Ontario employers . IWH Speaker Series. February 14, 2023.
- Safe work integration of newcomers: Employer perspectives. IWH Speaker Series. October 13, 2020.
- Capacity building and evaluation of OHS training in settlement agencies. IWH Speaker Series. January 28, 2020.
- Safe employment integration of recent immigrants and refugees. IWH Speaker Series. October 31, 2017.
Interviews and articles
- Supporting settlement agencies to raise OHS awareness among newcomers. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 100, Spring 2020.
- Can an eight-item questionnaire pick up on real-world differences in OHS practice?. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 99, Winter 2020.
- New beginnings: Recent immigrants need more support to reduce their heightened risk of injury. Canadian Occupational Safety. August 14, 2019. Available from: https://www.cos-mag.com/personal-process-safety/40654-global-study-explores-best-practices-for-recent-immigrant-safety/
- Construction safety association develops OHS assessment tool with IWH’s expertise . At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 97, Summer 2019.
- Supportive supervisors help reduce risks when workers face hazards, lack protection . At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 95, Winter 2019.