Stephanie Premji

Education-to-job mismatch and the risk of work injury

Objectives To examine the association between education-to-job mismatch and work injury. Methods Cross-sectional data from the 2003 and 2005 Canadian Community Health Surveys (n=63 462) were used to examine the relationship between having an educational level that is incongruent with occupational skills requirements and the risk of sustaining a work injury requiring medical attention or a work-related repetitive movement injury (RMI). The effect on injury of the interaction of overeducation with recent immigrant status was also examined. Models were stratified by sex and adjusted for possible confounders. Occupational physical demands were conceptualised as a potential mediating variable. Results After adjustment for covariates, over-education was associated with work injury and RMI for both sexes. Adjustment for occupational demands attenuated the impact on work injury but did not eliminate the effect on RMI among men. The interaction of over-education and recent immigrant status resulted among men in a fourfold increase in the odds of work injury compared with non-recent immigrants who were not over-educated. After adjustment for occupational demands, over-educated recent immigrant men still had more than a twofold increase in the odds of injury. Conclusions The risk of sustaining a work injury is higher among those whose education exceeds that of job requirements. These findings highlight the need to address barriers to suitable employment, particularly among recent immigrants.

Workforce utilization of visible and linguistic minorities in Canadian nursing

Aim  This study seeks to develop a diversity profile of the nursing workforce in Canada and its major cities. Background  There is ample evidence of ethnic and linguistic segregation in the Canadian labour market. However, it is unknown if there is equitable representation of visible and linguistic minorities in nursing professions. Methods  We cross-tabulated aggregate data from Statistics Canadas 2006 Census. Analyses examined the distribution of visible and linguistic minorities, including visible minority sub-groups, among health managers, head nurses, registered nurses, licensed nurses and nurse aides for Canada and major cities as well as by gender. Results  In Canada and its major cities, a pyramidal structure was found whereby visible and linguistic minorities, women in particular, were under-represented in managerial positions and over-represented in lower ranking positions. Blacks and Filipinos were generally well represented across nursing professions; however, other visible minority sub-groups lacked representation. Conclusions  Diversity initiatives at all levels can play a role in promoting better access to and quality of care for minority populations through the increased cultural and linguistic competence of care providers and organizations. Implications for Nursing Management  Efforts to increase diversity in nursing need to be accompanied by commitment and resources to effectively manage diversity within organizations.

Racialized and gendered disparities in occupational exposures among Chinese and white workers in Toronto

Objective. We examined disparities in hazardous employment characteristics and working conditions among Chinese and white workers in Toronto, Canada. Design. We used self-administered questionnaire data from a 2005–2006 population-based survey (n = 1611). Using modified Poisson regression, we examined the likelihood for Chinese workers of experiencing adverse exposures compared to whites. Models were stratified by sex and adjusted for differences in human capital. Work sector was conceptualized as a mediating variable. Results. Chinese workers were generally more likely to report adverse exposures. In many cases, disparities were only evident or more pronounced among women. The shorter length of time in Canada of Chinese relative to whites accounted for some of the observed disparities. Meanwhile, the higher educational level of Chinese compared to whites provided them with no protection from adverse exposures. The risk of experiencing discrimination on the labor market and at work was more than 50% higher among Chinese men and women as compared to whites, and those disparities, though reduced, persisted after adjustment for confounders. Conclusions. Discrimination is far more prevalent among Chinese than among whites and may explain their disproportionate exposure to other hazards.

Barriers to Return-to-Work for Linguistic Minorities in Ontario: An Analysis of Narratives from Appeal Decisions

Purpose Previous research has shown that linguistic minorities have inferior workers’ compensation experiences and outcomes; however little information exists on the structural barriers they face in relation to return-to-work (RTW). We sought to address this gap by describing barriers to RTW for linguistic minorities in Ontario using narratives from appeal decisions. Methods We examined decisions by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. We searched the full text of decisions rendered between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011 for the keyword “English”. A total of 378 decisions were generated. After eliminating decisions that did not involve linguistic minorities we retained half (189) for analysis. We summarized the issues around language for each decision and identified broad themes across decisions. Results We found that linguistic minorities’ limitations with regards to communication and power left them vulnerable to abuse, incomprehension and misperception by employers, care providers and adjudicators. In addition, specific RTW policies and practices failed to properly consider or mitigate their lack of English proficiency. These interpersonal and structural barriers negatively impacted linguistic minorities’ eligibility to benefits and services and the appropriateness thereof, as well as their eventual return to work. Conclusions Our research highlights the need to move beyond efforts to improve the linguistic competence of compensation boards to target the structural factors that impede equal access at every stage of the process.

“It’s Totally Destroyed Our Life”: Exploring the Pathways and Mechanisms Between Precarious Employment and Health and Well-being Among Immigrant Men and Women in Toronto

Precarious employment is rapidly growing, but qualitative data on pathways to and mechanisms for health and well-being is lacking. This article describes the cumulative and intersecting micro-level pathways and mechanisms between precarious employment and health among immigrant men and women in Toronto. It draws on semi-structured interviews conducted in 2014 with 15 women and 12 men from 11 countries of origin. The article describes how precarious employment, conceptualized by workers as encompassing powerlessness, economic insecurity, work for multiple employers, nonstandard and unpredictable schedules, hazardous working conditions, and lack of benefits and protections, negatively impacts workers’ physical and mental health as well as that of their spouses or partners and children. It documents pathways to health and well-being, including stress, material and social deprivation, and exposure to hazards, as well as commuting difficulties and childcare challenges. Throughout, gender and migration are shown to influence experiences of work and health. The findings draw attention to dimensions of precarity and pathways to health that are not always highlighted in research and discourse on precarious employment and provide valuable insights into the vicious circle of precarious employment and health.

Pathways between under/unemployment and health among racialized immigrant women in Toronto

ABSTRACT Objective. We sought to document pathways between under/unemployment and health among racialized immigrant women in Toronto while exploring the ways in which gender, class, migration and racialization, as interlocking systems of social relations, structure these relationships. Design. We conducted 30 interviews with racialized immigrant women who were struggling to get stable employment that matched their education and/or experience. Participants were recruited through flyers, partner agencies and peer researcher networks. Most interviews (21) were conducted in a language other than English. Interviews were transcribed, translated as appropriate and analyzed using NVivo software. The project followed a community-based participatory action research model. Results. Under/unemployment negatively impacted the physical and mental health of participants and their families. It did so directly, for example through social isolation, as well as indirectly through representation in poor quality jobs. Under/unemployment additionally led to the intensification of job search strategies and of the household/caregiving workload which also negatively impacted health. Health problems, in turn, contributed to pushing participants into long-term substandard employment trajectories. Participants’ experiences were heavily structured by their social location as low income racialized immigrant women. Conclusions. Our study provides needed qualitative evidence on the gendered and racialized dimensions of under/unemployment, and adverse health impacts resulting from this. Drawing on intersectional analysis, we unpack the role that social location plays in creating highly uneven patterns of under/unemployment and negative health pathways for racialized immigrant women. We discuss equity informed strategies to help racialized immigrant women overcome barriers to stable work that match their education and/or experience.

937 Safe employment integration of newcomers to canada

Introduction Settlement and integration involves helping recent immigrants and refugees find work and become economically solvent. Yet many newcomers end up in ‘survival jobs’ that are precarious, physically demanding and expose workers to hazards. While ‘welcome materials’ and settlement programs help newcomers find employment, few offer guidance on employment rights, employer responsibilities and how to stay safe at work. We know very little about how newcomers prepare for employment, the types of resources needed or which groups are well-positioned to deliver these resources. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with policy makers, program developers, social service providers involved in immigrant settlement and employment preparation (n=20). Eighteen focus groups were also conducted with newcomers looking for work and those who had found their first jobs in Canada. The study examined the employment preparation and job search process; newcomer experiences in their first jobs; key training and resource needs related to safe work integration. Data were coded by two researchers and a thematic, inductive analysis was carried out. The constant comparative method was used to understand how newcomers come to understand their rights and where there are gaps in resources and training. Findings Our findings suggest that while many programs focus on employment preparation, the delivery of OHS and rights-related resources is haphazardly and hampered by a lack of consistent funding, time constraints and a diffusion of responsibility. Newcomers reported difficulty finding work and taking jobs that were incommensurate with their experience and education. Many took on informal work without training or compensation as a means of gaining Canadian experience. Participants had poor understanding of rights and responsibilities in the workplace and many had not received comprehensive OHS training. The use of community networks, while useful in finding employment, could be a barrier to speaking up in the workplace. Language barriers were an obstacle to finding work and invoking workplace rights. Discussion This study adds to our understanding of what can help recent immigrants and refugees successfully prepare for and stay in good quality, safe jobs. We identify optimal points in the settlement process where employment-related resources can be provided and the role social service agencies, regulatory bodies and employers should play.