Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability of Recent Immigrants and Refugees

Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 11:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM ET

Resources:

Presentation Slides

Recent immigrants and refugees to Canada have higher rates of work-related injuries and illnesses than Canadian-born workers. As a result, they are often labelled as ‘vulnerable workers’.

This webinar will present findings of a qualitative study that explored the factors that contribute to occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability of recent immigrants and refugees from the lens of the workplace context, including exposure to hazards and access to workplace protections. It will also provide insights into factors that could help reduce the risk of injury and illness among newcomers.

You will learn

About the experiences of recent immigrants and refugees seeking work, and in their first jobs, from the lens of the occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability framework
How to identify workplace factors that could help reduce the risk of injury and illness of recent immigrants and refugees

Take-home messages

Recent immigrants and refugees experience multiple forms of occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability.
Safe work integration depends on providing recent immigrants and refugees with information about their rights, adequate job training, and opportunities for participating in injury prevention.

Hosted by

Basak Yanar, PhD

Research Associate, Institute for Work and Health, Canda

Basak Yanar is a research associate at the Institute for Work and Health (IWH). She holds a PhD in organizational behaviour from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, where her research focused on labour market experiences of immigrant professionals in Canada. Basak's research examines safe work integration of newcomers, and how organizations can promote the physical and psychological wellbeing of their employees. With Dr. Peter Smith, she is currently leading a qualitative research project on the role of employers and settlement organizations in work integration of recent immigrants and refugees in Ontario and staying safe at work.