Welcome to the Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury

Immigrant workers' experiences after work-related injury and illness

Principal Investigator: Agnieszka Kosny

Co-Investigator: Ellen MacEachen, Peter Smith, John Shields

Community Involvement: Several community partners gave input throughout the grant writing process - this included feedback on the methodology and literature review, help conceptualizing how recruitment will unfold, and input on dissemination strategies. All are serving on the advisory committee, will help with recruitment and with dissemination of results. Community partnerships: Toronto Workers' Health and Safety Legal Clinic, Injured Worker Consultants, Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement, LAMP Community Health Centre, National Network on the Environments and Women's Health, WSIB.

Project Abstract: Immigrant workers are very important to the Canadian labour force and represent a majority of labour force growth. Yet there is some indication that the experiences of these workers can be problematic. Immigrant workers, even with high levels of formal education, are more likely to work in poor-quality, low-paying jobs. Workers with high job insecurity, poor language skills, and limited familiarity with Canadian social programs may face particular challenges when injured at work. They may not report injury if they have poor knowledge of their rights or fear job loss. These workers may also have trouble accessing and navigating the compensation system. Working closely with community groups, we will examine the experiences of injured immigrant workers in Toronto - a city with the highest level of immigration in Canada. We will interview service providers and ask immigrant workers about their experiences after injury with their employer, with health care providers and with the compensation system. This study will provide information about workers that represent an important and growing segment of our labour force. We hope that the study can help guide workplace practices, health care services and compensation policies so they can best serve immigrant workers.

Project References: Project proposal has received funding from the WSIB-RAC, September 2007 intake.

Project Bibliography:

Longitudinal survey of immigrants to Canada: Portrait of early settlement experiences, 2005a; 1-108. Ottawa, Ontario, Statistics Canada.

Recent immigrants in metropolitan areas - Toronto: A comparative profile based in the 2001 census, 2005b; 1-77. Ottawa, Ontario, Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The economic performance of immigrants: immigration category perspective. 2006; 1-4. Ottawa, Ontario, Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Longitudinal survey of immigrants to Canada: Progress and challenges of new immigrants in the workforce, 2007a; 1-12, 89-615. Ottawa, Ontario, Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada. Census of Canada, 2001: public use microdata file - individuals file [computer file]. Revision 2. Data Liberation Initiative through University of Toronto, 2006/04/26. (STC 95M0016XCB). 2007b; Ottawa, Ont.: Statistics Canada.

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Eakin, J., MacEachen, E., and Clarke,J. 'Playing it smart' with return to work: small workplace experience under Ontario's policy of self-reliance and early return. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 2003; 1(1):19-41.

Frenette, M. and Morissette, R. Will they ever converge? Earning of immigrant and Canadian-born workers over the last two decades. International Migration Review, 2005; 39(1): 228-256.

Gannage, C.M. The Health and Safety Concerns of Immigrant Women Workers in the Toronto Sportswear Industry. International Journal of Health Services, 1999; 29(2): 429.

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Gravel, S., Boucheron, L., and Kane, M. Workplace Health and Safety for Immigrant Workers in Montreal: Results of an Exploratory Study. 2003; PISTES: Perspectives Interdisciplinaires sur le Travail et la Sante.

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Smith, E. and Jackson, A. Does a riding tide lift all boats? The labour market experiences and incomes of recent immigrants 1995-1998; Canadian Council on Social Development, 2002; 1-14. Ottawa, Ontario.

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Thurston, W. Occupational Injury among Immigrants. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2003; 4(1):105-123.

Vissandjee, B., Carignan, P., and Bourdeau-Marchand, M. New immigrant women and health. The Canadian Nurse, 1999; 5(4):35-41.

Walter, N., Bourgois, P., and Loinaz, M. Masculinity and undocumented labor migration: injured Latino day laborers in San Francisco. Social Science & Medicine, 2003; 59:1159-1168.

Whitley, R., Kirmayer, L.J., and Groleau, D. Understanding immigrants' reluctance to use mental health services: a qualitative study from Montreal. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2006; 51(4):205-209.

Wu, Z., Penning, M.J., and Schimmele, C.M. Immigrant status and unmet health care needs. Canadian journal of public health. Revue canadienne de sante publique, 2005; 96(5):369-373.