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
- Champions as social agents of change: what can we learn from worker well-being initiatives?. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Creating safe workplaces for newcomers. Funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- First Responder Mental Health Treatment Services: Formative evaluation of a pilot program. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Ongoing.
- Programs of early OHS intervention with small businesses. Funded by WorkSafeBC. Ongoing.
- Return to work in policing: synthesizing current practices and implementation guidance. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Ongoing.
Publications
- Yanar B, Lay M, Smith PM. The interplay between supervisor safety support and occupational health and safety vulnerability on work injury. Safety and Health at Work. 2019;10(2):172-179. doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2018.11.001.
- Yanar B, Kosny A, Smith PM. Occupational health and safety vulnerability of recent immigrants and refugees. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018;15(9):2004. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092004.
- Kosny A, Lifshen M, Yanar B, Tonima S, MacEachen E, Furlan AD, Koehoorn M, Beaton DE, Cooper J, Neis B. The role of healthcare providers in return to work. International Journal of Disability Management. 2018;13:e3. doi:10.1017/idm.2018.4.
- Kosny A, Yanar B, Begum M, Al-khooly D, Premji S, Lay M, Smith PM. Safe employment integration of recent immigrants and refugees. Institute for Work & Health; 2018.
- Kosny A, Lifshen M, Tonima S, Yanar B, Russell E, MacEachen E, Neis B, Koehoorn M, Beaton DE, Furlan AD, Cooper J. Role of health-care providers in the workers' compensation system and the return-to-work process: executive summary. Institute for Work & Health; 2016.
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.