Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voice

The policies and practices of workers’ compensation have barely kept pace with the changing worker and employer needs created by the growth of precarious forms of employment. This study focused on how well workers’ compensation and RTW policies in Ontario fit the needs of precariously employed worke...

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Main Authors: Ellen MacEachen, Sonja Senthanar, Katherine Lippel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail (IRSST) 2021-08-01
Series:Perspectives Interdisciplinaires sur le Travail et la Santé
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/pistes/7173
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author Ellen MacEachen
Sonja Senthanar
Katherine Lippel
author_facet Ellen MacEachen
Sonja Senthanar
Katherine Lippel
author_sort Ellen MacEachen
collection DOAJ
description The policies and practices of workers’ compensation have barely kept pace with the changing worker and employer needs created by the growth of precarious forms of employment. This study focused on how well workers’ compensation and RTW policies in Ontario fit the needs of precariously employed workers. A critical discourse analysis guided our study which consisted of in-depth interviews with 15 precariously-employed workers and 5 employers who had hired and managed these kinds of workers. Three domains where RTW policies fit uneasily with the experiences of precariously-employed workers were identified. These related to knowledge and power contrasts between well-informed employers and vulnerable workers, injury attribution challenges, and worker fear of speaking up about accidents. This study suggests that workers’ compensation and RTW policies rest uneasily with the circumstances of precariously-employed workers. In particular, it was difficult for workers to engage with/make a claim for workers’ compensation when employers resisted this process.
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publishDate 2021-08-01
publisher Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail (IRSST)
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series Perspectives Interdisciplinaires sur le Travail et la Santé
spelling doaj-art-d3e1d79f51a8459b9d60ce8c926220662025-01-09T16:01:07ZengInstitut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail (IRSST)Perspectives Interdisciplinaires sur le Travail et la Santé1481-93842021-08-0123110.4000/pistes.7173Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voiceEllen MacEachenSonja SenthanarKatherine LippelThe policies and practices of workers’ compensation have barely kept pace with the changing worker and employer needs created by the growth of precarious forms of employment. This study focused on how well workers’ compensation and RTW policies in Ontario fit the needs of precariously employed workers. A critical discourse analysis guided our study which consisted of in-depth interviews with 15 precariously-employed workers and 5 employers who had hired and managed these kinds of workers. Three domains where RTW policies fit uneasily with the experiences of precariously-employed workers were identified. These related to knowledge and power contrasts between well-informed employers and vulnerable workers, injury attribution challenges, and worker fear of speaking up about accidents. This study suggests that workers’ compensation and RTW policies rest uneasily with the circumstances of precariously-employed workers. In particular, it was difficult for workers to engage with/make a claim for workers’ compensation when employers resisted this process.https://journals.openedition.org/pistes/7173return to workprecarious employmentprecarious workersworker benefitvulnerable workers
spellingShingle Ellen MacEachen
Sonja Senthanar
Katherine Lippel
Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voice
Perspectives Interdisciplinaires sur le Travail et la Santé
return to work
precarious employment
precarious workers
worker benefit
vulnerable workers
title Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voice
title_full Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voice
title_fullStr Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voice
title_full_unstemmed Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voice
title_short Workers’ compensation claims for precariously employed workers in Ontario: employer resistance and workers’ limited voice
title_sort workers compensation claims for precariously employed workers in ontario employer resistance and workers limited voice
topic return to work
precarious employment
precarious workers
worker benefit
vulnerable workers
url https://journals.openedition.org/pistes/7173
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AT sonjasenthanar workerscompensationclaimsforprecariouslyemployedworkersinontarioemployerresistanceandworkerslimitedvoice
AT katherinelippel workerscompensationclaimsforprecariouslyemployedworkersinontarioemployerresistanceandworkerslimitedvoice