Determining Health: Decent work practice brief

This practice brief is part of the Determining Health series of online resources from the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health  (NCCDH).

Cette ressource est également disponible en français.

Determining Health: Decent work practice brief builds on the 2022 issue brief which summarized the evidence of employment as a social determinant of health and called for intersectoral public health action.  

This new resource outlines concrete public health roles, actions and approaches that promote decent work and address employment as a social determinant of health. Each role is supported with a real-world case story. This practice brief provides a base for public health to strategize, partner with worker-led groups, and advocate to disrupt precarious employment and working conditions in Canada.   

#Overview

Determining Health: Decent work practice brief is an essential resource for public health practitioners aiming to address precarious employment and hazardous work by advancing decent work as a determinant of health.

This practice brief builds on the foundational Determining Health: Decent work issue brief, which synthesizes evidence to describe the impact of employment and working conditions on the health of workers and populations across Canada.

To meaningfully advance decent work and health equity, the practice brief outlines three essential cross-cutting approaches:

• Apply a values-driven approach
• Build worker power
• Commit to intersectionality

The practice brief applies these approaches to a well-established framework  of public health roles for health equity, providing guidance for public health action on decent work. Each role is accompanied by a real-world example illustrating how public health practitioners and organizations across the country have advanced decent work in various public health spheres.

Lastly, the practice brief outlines key discussion questions to guide those eager to learn more about and take action on decent work. These questions facilitate deeper engagement with the material, encouraging practitioners to critically examine their approaches and strategies in addressing precarious employment and hazardous working conditions.

#Use this resource to:

• Facilitate discussion on strategies to advance decent work and health equity
• Guide partnership building with worker-led groups to promote decent work initiatives
• Advocate for improved data collection in your organization to address knowledge gaps concerning the health implications of precarious employment and hazardous working conditions in your jurisdiction