Course:SPPH381B/Essay 2/Vulnerable Workers - Zahra

Vulnerable Workers in Canada

Introduction

All individuals have the equal right to safe working conditions. However, some individuals are more vulnerable to occupational risks than others and additional measures must be taken in order to protect them. According to the Ontario Ministry of Labor, vulnerable workers are “those who work in sectors where they may be at risk of having their rights violated, and who may lack the ability or resources to understand their rights” . Examples of vulnerable workers specific to the Canadian context include temporary foreign workers, young workers, immigrants, and individuals whose first language is neither English nor French . Vulnerability can also be defined in terms of individuals being involved with precarious work . Precarious work is characterized as being , part-time, offering less job security, offering few benefits, low pay and giving workers minimal control over their working conditions.

Figure 1.1 Global Factors Influencing Occupational Risk (adapted from Davies, 2017)

Global Factors Influencing Occupational Risk

Figure 1.1 illustrates how there are many factors that influence occupational risk. In regards to the individual factor age, studies have demonstrated that adolescents and young adult workers are more likely to be injured at work compared to older workers . This may be due to the fact that with age comes increased education and experience on how to prevent injuries, but this relationship may also be influenced by the fact that young people tend to be employed in riskier jobs such as those involving a high degree of physical effort. Young people also tend to experience more peer-pressure and may lack confidence which are additional factors affecting this relationship. Another factor could be that there is a high concentration of young employees in small companies. Small companies typically have limited occupational health and safety knowledge and resources in comparison to larger companies. It is important to understand that the factors presented in figure 1.1 rarely operate in isolation and are most often are compounded. Building on the previous example, a young employee may be pressured into working a risky job due to poverty, a socio-economic factor.

Immigration and Gender

Another group that can encounter many difficulties surrounding employment is immigrants. Not having adequate proficiency in either national languages or having non-domestic educational credentials makes individuals more likely to have a physically demanding job . Language can also be a barrier to knowledge of rights, access to OSH resources and information and the ability to refuse unsafe work. One of the phenomena through the last several decades has been an increase in part-time, temporary and casual work. Women are more likely to work part-time and earn a lower income compared to men .

Health Impact and Compensation

In regards to public health, precarious work has a significant impact on poor health and health inequities. Precarious work is more likely to be physically demanding, resulting in higher risks for injury. As previously mentioned, low wages are a characteristic of precarious work. This can indirectly influence health as individuals may not have adequate income to meet their basic needs for good health. They may also take on more hours or other jobs resulting in long work weeks, which increases their susceptibility of illness or injury. The temporary and lack of job security nature of precarious work can also cause a great deal of psychological stress . Compensation due to illness or injury is another important dimension for vulnerable workers. In a study analyzing data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, differences in worker compensation benefits were found among vulnerable workers. Women, immigrants who were in their first 10 years in Canada, younger workers, part-time workers and workers that are not unionized, were less likely to receive compensation for lost earnings after a work-related injury or illness .

Occupational Health and Safety Questionnaire

An example of combatting worker vulnerability is the use of an occupational health and safety questionnaire developed by the Institute for Work & Health in Canada. This 27-item questionnaire asks individuals about their exposure to workplace hazards and the presence of three types of protection: workplace policies and procedures; worker awareness of OHS hazards, rights and responsibilities; and worker empowerment to participate in injury prevention . One of the goals of the implementation of this tool is that companies will be better able to identify workers that are at increased risk of injury and have insight on the mechanisms in the workplace that are contributing to heightened vulnerability. The data collected from the survey can be very valuable for injury prevention efforts . In a recent study, 1,835 workers in Ontario and British Columbia completed the survey and over a third of respondents were found to experience some kind of vulnerability .

Additional Resources

• Map developed by the International Labour Organization displaying prevalence of vulnerable employment around the world

References

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