January 2022

A look back at 2021: the five most-read At Work articles

Did you catch last year’s most popular At Work articles reporting on Institute for Work & Health (IWH) research findings? Here are the five most-read articles from the 2021 issues of IWH’s quarterly newsletter:

1. At-work cannabis use linked to work factors, including some not expected: IWH study
2. For a segment of workforce, psychosocial working conditions are poor across the board
3. Claim suppression study in B.C. finds under-claiming of work injury to be common
4. Weaker OHS procedures, policies explain small employers’ higher injury risks: study
5. People’s reasons for disclosing episodic disabilities linked to support they receive

If you have colleagues who might be interested in our research findings, please suggest they sign up at the link below.

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IWH’s Dr. Peter Smith named new president

On Monday, January 17, Dr. Peter Smith became the new IWH president. Smith has been a member of IWH’s scientific staff for over 15 years, most recently serving as the Institute’s scientific co-director. He replaces Dr. Cameron Mustard, who retired after 20 years in the position. At Work talked to Smith about his new role and his plans for IWH in the years ahead.

Read about the new president

Federal grant supports building employers’ capacity to create inclusive workplaces

Although support for inclusive workplaces has been growing, many employers are apprehensive about hiring persons with disabilities. A new six-year project supported by Canada’s New Frontiers Research Fund (NFRF) aims to build employer capacity and confidence in making workplaces more accessible and inclusive. The project, titled “Inclusive Design for Employment Access” or IDEA, is co-led by IWH Senior Scientist Dr. Emile Tompa and McMaster University Associate Professor Dr. Rebecca Gewurtz, with the involvement of many community partners. Theirs was one of just seven teams across Canada to be funded by the Transformation 2020 competition.

Read about the project on McMaster’s website

Webinar: Estimating the economic benefits of a fully inclusive Canada

What would be the economic benefits if barriers to work and other forms of societal engagement were removed for persons with disabilities? In an IWH Speaker Series presentation on February 8, IWH’s Dr. Emile Tompa shares a framework he developed to gauge the economic benefits of a fully inclusive Canada.

Find out more and sign up

Op-ed: Workplaces can promote exercise—by addressing the work conditions in the way

We know regular exercise is very good for health, but many workers do not exercise as much as they should. Workplaces can help promote fitness, writes IWH Associate Scientist Dr. Avi Biswas in an op-ed piece. But to make a real difference, he notes, workplaces need to go beyond treating exercise as an individual responsibility. They need to address the job conditions that can get in the way of a healthy, active lifestyle.

Read the op-ed in The Conversation Canada

Uyen Vu
Senior Communications Associate
613-979-7742
uvu@iwh.on.ca