IWH in the media

Throughout history, periods of technological transformation have introduced new tools to workplaces and altered working conditions in ways that have impacted worker health in both positive and negative ways. The increasing availability of smartphone technology, for example, has given rise to the digital gig economy characterized by temporary and freelance work, or short-term contracts. While this shift presents novel work opportunities, it also contributes to widespread labour market precarity that has negatively impacted the well-being of workers. This article is reprinted from an article authored by IWH's Dr. Arif Jetha in The Conversation Canada.

Businesses are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to solve problems and perform tasks that have traditionally required human intelligence. However, the rapid rate of AI adoption is putting workplaces at risk of overlooking its potentially adverse impacts, particularly those that could impact the health and well-being of workers, writes IWH's Dr. Arif Jetha.

Extreme weather caused by climate change is changing the jobs of health care workers, outdoor labourers, and even flight attendants, writes Gabriela Calugay-Casuga. Research from IWH about the union safety effect is cited.

A study by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) has shed light on the association between cannabis use and work injury risk. As reported by Ada Tabanao, by distinguishing between on-the-job cannabis consumption and off-duty use, researchers found a significant difference in injury risks.

An estimated one in seven Canadians report using cannabis products to recuperate from work-related physical injuries, according to data published in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers at the Institute for Work & Health surveyed nearly 1,200 Canadians who had received workers’ compensation for either a work-related injury or illness. Fourteen percent of respondents said that they had used cannabis explicitly to recuperate from a workplace injury.

Previously injured workers in sectors including construction, mining and forestry are more likely to end up in the emergency room or to be hospitalized due to opioid-related harm than workers in other sectors in Ontario. Lindsay Kelly reports on findings shared by the Institute for Work & Health and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre at a webinar hosted by EPID at Work, a occupational health research institute at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

Jim Wilson reports on changes to British Columbia's Workers Compensation Act that require cooperation between an employer and injured worker with WorkSafeBC in order to aid the return-to-work process, cites IWH study on pain after a work-related injury.

The Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) initiative aims to build the capacity of employers to hire and accommodate persons with disabilities. This article profiles the initiative's mission.

Report profiling the Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT) and its capacity to help worker's find accommodations without disclosing a condition to their employer.

A new initiative at GE Johnson is profiled that assigns green hard hats to new hires in an effort to increase training and encourage other workers to pay closer attention to their safety, citing IWH findings about new workers having a higher risk of work-related injuries.