Background
Over 75,000 temporary workers from other countries, and many more new Canadians, work in B.C. across a wide variety of occupations.
Many of them come from jurisdictions that have a different approach to workplace safety than the standards we strive to set in British Columbia. WorkSafeBC approached St. Bernadine to help educate these workers about their rights relative to a safe work environment.
The Challenge
New workers face a variety of challenges in a new environment. Most don’t speak English as their mother tongue. Many don’t have access to much direct contact with the world outside of their employer. Often they are picked up at YVR and bussed directly to their work site, where they are housed.
While not the norm, there have been cases of intimidation related to speaking up about safety at work. “Rocking the boat” can be problematic for people in a strange environment, with threats of immigration authorities, and even Revenue Canada, sometimes used as implicit threats. Our challenge was to find a way to reach them, let them know that they did indeed have the same rights as any Canadian in the workplace, and to let them know that WorkSafeBC is here to help.
The Solution
Our approach was to center the voices and lived experiences of immigrant workers. We collaborated with three individuals from diverse backgrounds to create short-form testimonial videos, each sharing their personal journeys in the B.C. workforce. These stories emphasized the importance of workplace safety, encouraged others to speak up, and reinforced that all workers—regardless of origin—are protected under provincial law.
The campaign was strategically designed with a strong emphasis on digital channels, leveraging HTML5 banners, static display ads, and a comprehensive suite of social media assets to maximize reach and engagement. Complementing the digital component, we executed an integrated out-of-home media strategy that included transit shelter ads, interior bus cards, and high-impact placements such as a digital luggage carousel screen at Vancouver International Airport’s International Arrivals. The creative approach centered on authenticity, featuring real immigrant workers in their professional environments to convey credibility and foster connection with the target audience. Each ad carried the message: “As a worker you have rights, from day one. Learn your rights.” We focused on five key industries known to employ large numbers of immigrant workers: Agriculture, Construction, Retail, Hospitality, and Manufacturing.
Recognizing the diversity of B.C.’s workforce, we translated the ads into four widely spoken languages—Punjabi, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese—to ensure accessibility and cultural relevance.
The Results
The campaign generated strong results and was met with positive feedback from both WorkSafeBC and the broader public.
If you’d like more detailed results, please reach out.
