Occupational safety and workers rights among new working age immigrants: The role of settlement organizations

This project aims to build the capacity of immigrant-serving agencies to provide Occupational Health and Safety and Workers’ Rights training to immigrant workers and to strengthen the capacity of new immigrant workers to exercise their rights to safe work practices. In the first activity, a comprehensive review of documents, an online survey, and interviews with key stakeholders were undertaken to assess the landscape of occupational health and safety training and support. The findings indicated a significant gap: existing training programs were not adequately reducing workplace safety risks, and new immigrant workers (NIWs) did not feel capable of asserting their work-related rights. Based on these findings, the second activity engaged nine immigrant workers in participatory action research. Over the course of three months, they discussed their specific challenges and needs and strategized on possible actions. The primary concerns highlighted were insufficient training, lack of awareness about their rights regarding occupational health and safety, reluctance to report safety issues for fear of retaliation, and experiences of psychological threats, such as discrimination. Five educational modules were co-created, addressing the real-life issues these workers faced. These modules cover critical topics such as the importance of OHS, psychological hazards, understanding Canadian workplace culture, effective communication strategies, and essential resources. Tailored to the nuanced needs of NIWs, these modules were then widely shared with immigrant-serving agencies. The final research activity involved eight immigrants in a participatory research effort focused on building their capacity to advocate for their safety rights in the workplace. These participants jointly identified their main concerns—feelings of marginalization, job insecurity, and insufficient resources—and developed collective actions to address these issues. Among the solutions was the creation of a peer support network, a platform for sharing resources, empowering newcomers to promote workplace well-being. Study funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)