Employment and Working Conditions
Overview
This definition comes from our publication around the Social Determinants of Injury. For more information on Employment and Working Conditions and injury prevention visit the publication HERE.
Contributing Factors to Workplace Injuries
There are not distinct statistics pertaining to workplace injuries within Atlantic Canada, however there are several contributing factors which increase an individual's susceptibility to workplace related injuries. In addition to workplace safety conditions, stress, long working hours, lack of vacation time, lack of employment security, physical conditions, and lack of control, there are several social factors contributing to workplace injuries. Such factors come from our Social Determinant of Injury Report.
Social and Economic Exclusion
Social and economic exclusion is an essential factor to recognize when thinking of working conditions and injury. The BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous and people of colour), as well as newcomers to Canada are disproportionately represented in workplaces of more dangerous conditions. These workplaces fail to recognize the educational achievements of the
se populations, placing them within a working environment which include longer hours, lower pay, more dangerous working conditions, and higher stress levels. These factors lead these populations to have a higher risk of injury, heavily impacting their health status.
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
Socioeconomic Status (SES) is a significant contributor to workplace related injury. Individuals who work in a more "blue collar" role (i.e., jobs which include fishing, farming, forestry, etc..) can receive a lower-pay and become more susceptible to workplace related injury due to often dangerous work, than the more "white collar" roles (i.e., sales, law, business, etc..).
Gender
Gender binary is a colonial structure which views gender through an either/or lens, specifically viewing gender as male/masculine and female/feminine, aligning with one's sex assigned at birth. However, gender, being a spectrum, not necessarily correlated with one's sex assigned at birth, can impact one's likelihood of workplace related injury.
For example, depending on one's gender, they can have a higher susceptibility to experiencing workplace related harassment and violence (mental, physical, spiritual, or sexual). Depending on their gender, they can also become more vulnerable to lower-pay and more dangerous working conditions, causing stress, which can impact their risk of injury.
There is a lack of research on the risk of injury in workplaces for those who identify beyond the binary lens of male and female. Such research must be made priority in the upcoming years to influence policy change and advocacy for more equitable working conditions.
Resources
Workplace related injuries are often under-reported. Many Canadians believe that their health and safety are at risk because of their working conditions. Some of the factors that contribute to workplace safety concerns include stress, long working hours and not enough vacation time, lack of employment security, physical conditions, and a lack of control within the workplace.
This definition comes from our publication around the Social Determinants of Injury. For more information on Employment and Working Conditions and injury prevention visit the publication HERE.
Contributing Factors to Workplace Injuries
There are not distinct statistics pertaining to workplace injuries within Atlantic Canada, however there are several contributing factors which increase an individual's susceptibility to workplace related injuries. In addition to workplace safety conditions, stress, long working hours, lack of vacation time, lack of employment security, physical conditions, and lack of control, there are several social factors contributing to workplace injuries. Such factors come from our Social Determinant of Injury Report.
Social and Economic Exclusion
Social and economic exclusion is an essential factor to recognize when thinking of working conditions and injury. The BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous and people of colour), as well as newcomers to Canada are disproportionately represented in workplaces of more dangerous conditions. These workplaces fail to recognize the educational achievements of the
se populations, placing them within a working environment which include longer hours, lower pay, more dangerous working conditions, and higher stress levels. These factors lead these populations to have a higher risk of injury, heavily impacting their health status.
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
Socioeconomic Status (SES) is a significant contributor to workplace related injury. Individuals who work in a more "blue collar" role (i.e., jobs which include fishing, farming, forestry, etc..) can receive a lower-pay and become more susceptible to workplace related injury due to often dangerous work, than the more "white collar" roles (i.e., sales, law, business, etc..).
Gender
Gender binary is a colonial structure which views gender through an either/or lens, specifically viewing gender as male/masculine and female/feminine, aligning with one's sex assigned at birth. However, gender, being a spectrum, not necessarily correlated with one's sex assigned at birth, can impact one's likelihood of workplace related injury.
For example, depending on one's gender, they can have a higher susceptibility to experiencing workplace related harassment and violence (mental, physical, spiritual, or sexual). Depending on their gender, they can also become more vulnerable to lower-pay and more dangerous working conditions, causing stress, which can impact their risk of injury.
There is a lack of research on the risk of injury in workplaces for those who identify beyond the binary lens of male and female. Such research must be made priority in the upcoming years to influence policy change and advocacy for more equitable working conditions.
Resources
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Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (guidance for higher-risk and essential occupations and industries) |
