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
Tools and guides
Immigrant workers and language diversity at work: What can employers do to keep workers safe?
Published: January 9, 2026
At Work article
Arts-based study reveals complexities of working as a nail technician
Workplace hazards have been the focus of many studies on the health and safety of nail salons and their workers. An arts-based study strived to demonstrate the complexity of nail technicians’ relationships to their work, finding both harms and joys.
Published: July 31, 2025
At Work article
At Work article
Immigrant workers experience different health and safety issues
Immigrants often experience poorer conditions when they go off to work compared with their neighbours who were born in Canada, even years after settling here. These findings emerged from two new studies by researchers at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH).
Published: August 2008
At Work article
At Work article
Research explores health and safety issues in immigrant workers
Immigrant and migrant workers face different issues than Canadian-born employees, such as language barriers and lack of knowledge about their rights. As the immigrant population increases, this is becoming a growing area of research and policy attention.
Published: February 2007