Newcomers and work

Newcomers to Canada are at an increased risk of workplace injury and illness, due in part to a lack of knowledge about their rights and responsibilities in occupational health and safety (OHS). Settlement agencies are well-positioned to promote OHS awareness among newcomers, but some may lack the resources and capacity to do so. In this presentation, Institute for Work & Health (IWH)'s Dr. Basak Yanar joins Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)'s Eduardo Huesca to talk about the development and delivery of the OHS capacity-building workshops for settlement agencies. They will share results of an evaluation capturing the experiences of service providers and newcomer clients, and discuss opportunities for Ontario’s OHS system partners to further support the settlement sector.

Published: January 2020

Published: Qualitative Health Research, January 2020

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

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

Published: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, September 2018

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

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

Status: Completed 2020

Published: Canadian Journal of Public Health, April 2018

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