Recent immigrants from racialized minority backgrounds and those who are notproficient in the local language are some of the most vulnerable members of society. Despitehaving postsecondary educational qualifications and permanent residency status, many areengaged in precarious employment. There is a scarcity of research that has explicitly focused onthe work experiences and mental health challenges faced by these immigrants.
Using agrounded theory approach and semi-structured face-to-face interviews, this study examined thework experiences and mental health challenges of 42 recent immigrant employees from twocities in Canada who were working in various industries and engaged in precarious employment.
Eighty-one percent of the employee participants were overqualified for their jobs.Findings highlighted several ongoing mental problems that participants experienced, stemmingfrom challenging physical and psychological workplace conditions, negative mindsets associatedwith their recent immigrant status, and other contextual factors and barriers. However, variouscoping strategies, both constructive and unconstructive, were used to address this mental distress.
The study proposes a multidimensional approach to address workplace conditions topromote good mental health for these employees. This includes preventative programs for raisingawareness among employers about the importance of recent immigrant employees’ mental healthand well-being and policy and legislation changes to ensure the employer’s commitment tocreating a safe and culturally friendly workplace. The approach also recommends that recentimmigrant employees receive occupational health and safety training, learn about Canadianworkplace norms and culture, and have access to professional healthcare services.