Hanley Jill, Ventura Sanchez Guillermo, Goswami Pankil, Mayell Stephanie, McLaughlin Janet, Hennebry Jenna
School of Social Work, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1486-1499. doi: 10.1177/10519815251325646. Epub 2025 Apr 13.
BackgroundMigrant workers in Canada work in the most dangerous industries, with documented difficulties with occupational health and safety (OHS) and workers' compensation (WC). Little is known, however, about migrant workers' experiences with "return-to-work", the ultimate objective of WC for those who recover from their illness or injury.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to understand migrant workers' "return-to-work" experiences after facing occupational injury/illness for in Québec, Canada.MethodsPart of a broader multi-disciplinary project exploring how Canadian policies can ensure "return-to-work" for injured workers, this article draws on policy analysis and semi-structured interviews with 21 migrant workers in Quebec who experienced workplace illness or injury. Interviews (in Spanish, English, and French) lasted 1-2 h and were transcribed verbatim and thematically coded.ResultsThe first group of workers with occupational injuries never left their job out of fear of consequences. A second group of workers stopped working, with some receiving WC, while others did not. Most workers in this group never returned to work. Among the reasons provided by migrant workers, the data suggest following as the most common: abandoning the job out of fear of re-injury; repatriation and not being called back; and lasting repercussions of the injury leaving them unable to perform the same work. Others returned but experienced a range of problems: working without being fully recovered; constructive dismissal; or quitting because of ongoing risk or exacerbation of health problems. None were able to access retraining programs.ConclusionsThe structural components of Canada's migrant worker programs create conditions of unfree labor that impede the possibility of true "return-to-work". OHS and WC regimes must implement specific protections for migrant workers to increase their access to protections.
背景
加拿大的移民工人从事最危险的行业，在职业健康与安全（OHS）和工人赔偿（WC）方面存在诸多有据可查的困难。然而，对于移民工人在“重返工作岗位”方面的经历却知之甚少，而“重返工作岗位”是工人赔偿制度对于那些从伤病中康复者的最终目标。
目的
本研究的目的是了解加拿大魁北克省移民工人在遭遇职业伤病后的“重返工作岗位”经历。
方法
作为一个更广泛的多学科项目的一部分，该项目探讨加拿大政策如何确保受伤工人“重返工作岗位”，本文借鉴了政策分析以及对魁北克省21名经历过工作场所疾病或受伤的移民工人进行的半结构化访谈。访谈（用西班牙语、英语和法语进行）持续1 - 2小时，逐字记录并进行主题编码。
结果
第一组遭受职业伤害的工人因害怕后果而从未离开工作岗位。第二组工人停止了工作，一些人获得了工人赔偿，而另一些人则没有。这组中的大多数工人从未重返工作岗位。在移民工人给出的原因中，数据显示最常见的如下：因害怕再次受伤而放弃工作；回国且未被召回；以及伤病的长期影响使他们无法从事原来的工作。其他人虽然重返工作岗位，但遇到了一系列问题：未完全康复就工作；推定解雇；或因持续风险或健康问题恶化而辞职。没有人能够参加再培训项目。
结论
加拿大移民工人项目的结构组成部分造成了不自由劳动的状况，阻碍了真正“重返工作岗位”的可能性。职业健康与安全以及工人赔偿制度必须为移民工人实施具体保护措施，以增加他们获得保护的机会。
