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
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
Meeting on newcomer workers’ health inspires ideas for research and collaboration
Newcomer workers have a higher risk getting injured or ill at work than Canadian-born workers. In a step to address this longstanding issue, IWH recently hosted over 50 stakeholders to discuss the health and safety challenges these workers face.
Published: December 6, 2024
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