Newcomers and work
Immigrant workers account for much of the labour force growth in Canada. IWH research seeks to understand the work experiences of recent immigrants or newcomers to Canada. The focus of this research includes the barriers newcomers face in understanding and accessing their occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation rights and responsibilities, and the tools and programs needed to help ensure they can be safe and productive members of the Canadian labour force.
Featured
![Two male workers assemble vegetable crates in a warehouse](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_6_col_wide/public/iwh/images/newcomers_warehouse_crates.jpg?h=51a72048&itok=Lefx0cIf)
At Work article
Employers struggle to provide newcomers with OHS training, support: IWH study
Employers are responsible for providing OHS training and support to keep workers safe. When it comes to workers who are new to Canada, workplaces face particular challenges following through on this responsibility.
Published: November 29, 2022
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IWH Speaker Series
Safe work integration of newcomers: Employer perspectives
Published: October 13, 2020
![Workers of various ethnicities pose happily with their work team](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/work_team_various_ethnicities.jpg?h=e865d0b4&itok=YMmZ378j)
Tools and guides
Safe Work Toolkit for Newcomers (Ontario)
This toolkit contains everything needed to deliver instructional sessions to newcomers in Ontario on their occupational health and safety (OHS) and workers' compensation rights and responsibilities.
Published: December 2019
![Canadian Occupational Safety logo](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/canadian_occupational_safety_logo.png?h=84071268&itok=zebLs2Ra)
IWH in the media
New beginnings: Recent immigrants need more support to reduce their heightened risk of injury
A recent study spanning across the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada found newcomers are at a higher risk of work-related injury and illness. Canadian Occupational Safety editor Amanda Silliker speaks to health and safety professionals and researchers in Canada, including IWH's Dr. Basak Yanar, about ways to reduce risks among recent immigrants.
Published: Canadian Occupational Safety, August 2019
Journal article
Journal article
Occupational health and safety vulnerability of recent immigrants and refugees
Published: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, September 2018
![Three mature women look at camera](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/immigrant_women_vulnerability_0.jpg?h=2cdefdf4&itok=vtDHGJVL)
Research Highlights
OHS vulnerability among new immigrants
Recent immigrant workers are 1.6 times more likely than Canadian-born workers to experience occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability, defined as exposure to hazards without adequate protection to mitigate those hazards.
Published: August 2018
![London Free Press logo](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/london_free_press_logo.png?h=707772c7&itok=hdaRkUvR)
IWH in the media
Baranyai: Workplace training key for safety of newcomers
A local store manager was eager to help newcomers from Syria find employment, but he made something clear. Before they could work a single shift, they would need sufficient language skills to complete job safety training. This safety-first approach is not a universal experience among recent immigrants, according to a study by the Institute for Work & Health, writes columnist Robin Baranyai.
Published: The London Free Press, April 2018
Journal article
Journal article
The occupational health and safety vulnerability of recent immigrants accessing settlement services
Published: Canadian Journal of Public Health, April 2018
Project
Project
Role of employers and settlement agencies in safe employment integration
Status: Completed 2020
Project report
Project report
Safe employment integration of recent immigrants and refugees
This report details the findings of an Institute for Work & Health study on employment preparation process of newcomers in Ontario, with the aim of determining key training and resource needs and opportunities related to safely integrating recent immigrants and refugees into the labour market.
Published: March 2018
![Two smiling women at the airport](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/two_newcomers_Toronto_airport_0.jpg?h=1fc25a8c&itok=KSwB2PoD)
At Work article
Newcomers often lack OHS protection and information in their precarious first jobs
They face difficulty finding work, due to language barriers, foreign credentials or lack of Canadian experience. Their first jobs are precarious, sometimes unpaid. To top it off, they receive next to no training on OHS and employment standards issues, as a new IWH study has found.
Published: February 2018
![Daily Commercial News logo](/sites/iwh/files/styles/bootstrap_4_col_widescreen/public/iwh/images/daily_commercial_news_logo.png?h=3b5d1417&itok=o22XiZaP)
IWH in the media
New immigrants vulnerable to workplace accidents
New arrivals in Canada face additional vulnerabilities on the job, according to studies by Institute for Work and Health (IWH) in Toronto, writes Ian Harvey.
Published: Daily Commercial News, January 2018