Capturing lay perspectives on policy effectiveness: Employers’ and precariously employed workers’ suggested improvements for the workers’ compensation system and work injury processes

Abstract Purpose: Precarious employment rates are rising, which challenges the effectiveness of current workers’ compensation systems. Precariously employed workers encounter problems related to short-term and/or temporary employment, and complicated employment relationships. Few voices are captured in the literature from precariously employed workers and employers of these workers regarding day-today experience of workers’ compensation policies. This article describes employers’ and precariously employed workers’ suggested changes and improvements to a workers’ compensation system and other processes related to work injury and return-to-work. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Ontario, Canada with 36 precariously employed workers and 15 employers of precariously employed workers who were recruited via social media, email lists, cold calling, word-of-mouth, and the “snowball” method. Thematic code summaries were analyzed to identify suggested workers’ compensation system improvements that relate to precarious employment. Results: Employers’ and precariously employed workers’ suggestions fell into the categories of (1) communication, (2) worker health and healthcare, and (3) worker and employer support. Conclusions: Identifying precariously employed workers and employers of precariously employed workers’ suggestions enables a better understanding of areas of improvement for workers’ compensation policy and how these policy changes could affect these stakeholders with regards to managing workplace rehabilitation and disability.