Immigrants often come to Canada for the purpose of work, and they make up a large proportion of our labour force. Yet, these workers’ experiences on the job are not always positive. New immigrant workers can have difficulties finding a job in their field and may end up working in “survival jobs” that expose them to workplace hazards. Workers who are new to Canada may not be familiar with laws designed to protect them at work or with social programs that can help after a work-related injury.
The Institute for Work & Health conducted a study to explore the experiences of new immigrants after they were injured on the job. The study looked at workers’ knowledge of their rights, encounters with employers and health-care providers, and workers’ experiences with injury reporting and claim filing. This is a plain-language report that describes this study and what it found.