Creating safe workplaces for newcomers

What are the challenges and opportunities for creating safe workplaces for newcomers? Are you a Canadian employer with experience managing a diverse workforce, including newcomers to Canada? The research team on this study needs your expertise. The team's goal is to build a broad understanding of current approaches used to address newcomers’ safety in the workplace. Your insights will inform the development of resources to help employers manage occupational health and safety in linguistically and culturally diverse work environments.

To take part, or to find out more information, please contact Edda Bild, project coordinator, at ebild@iwh.on.ca.

Reasons for the study

Supporting newcomers’ safety at work requires employers to respond to the diverse needs of newcomers related to occupational health and safety (OHS) and to develop inclusive safety practices.

Although resources have been developed for employers in managing diversity within their workplaces, there is a gap in understanding diversity within the context of OHS. We know relatively little about whether, and how, employers manage OHS in linguistically and culturally diverse work environments.

This project will expand our understanding of linguistic and cultural diversity and its implications for safety, as well as our understanding of the opportunities and challenges of supporting newcomer safety at work.

Objectives of the study

  • Understand the experiences and needs of employers, newcomer workers and service providers related to OHS in linguistically and culturally diverse workplaces
  • Understand feasible and effective approaches to engaging employers in the unique OHS needs of newcomers and help employers create safe workplaces for newcomers

Target audience

Employers; newcomers and the settlement and employment agencies supporting them; occupational health and safety policy-makers, professionals and practitioners

Project status

Ongoing

Research team

Collaborators and partners

Access Alliance
Arab Community Centre of Toronto
Brampton Multicultural Centre
Skills for Change

Funded by

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)