The Problem
Studies have shown that young workers are less likely to speak up in workplaces out of fear or uncertainty. In Ontario’s post-COVID labour market where youth are among the hardest hit, fear of job insecurity rises and reduces the likelihood of speaking up to rights violations.
Furthermore, the Young Workers Rights Hub in Toronto found that a “significant knowledge gap exists among young workers in terms of understanding their rights in the workplace” and “how they can exercise those rights.”
Youth in their first jobs regularly suffer missed breaks, unsafe work, wage theft, and other violations under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Resources online are often contradictory or presented in thick legalese, which makes them inaccessible to the average youth or newcomer to Canada. How can youth be empowered to push back against unjust workplaces?
Our Solution
YoungWorks is an initiative designed to use interactive roleplays to help youth aged 14-17 in the GTA bridge the knowledge gap of workers rights, empowering them to communicate their needs and shape just workplaces for themselves.
The Power of Roleplay
Our research shows that, even when youth know logically that their employer is acting against employment law, they often find difficulty expressing their concerns. Roleplaying exercises make youth more likely to retain information, improve their readiness to apply knowledge to real-world tasks, and prepare youth for complexities in dynamic interactions. In short, they get to practice interpersonal conflict management in safe and inclusive environments.
What You Can Do
As a teenager, your voice matters.
Learn how to use your voice by checking out our Resources page, filled with fun and accessible educational resources on the Employment Standards Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and conflict management strategies.
Go to our Videos page to watch creative fictional roleplays and prepare yourself for problems you may encounter in the workplace.
Follow our Instagram (@youngworks.to) for updates on our workshops!
If you’re an educator, you’re just as welcome here. Feel free to use our free downloadable worksheets and our fun (also free!) videos with your students, all linked in our Resources page and our Videos page. Bring improvised roleplay into your class today!