What's new

An IWH research team has examined how working life could change in Canada over the next seven years and what the implications might be for young adults with a disability. Using strategic foresight methods, the team created three future scenarios that are designed to provoke discussion about the policies needed now to ensure an inclusive future for people with disabilities.

In an Australian study of five occupational health and safety (OHS) leading indicator tools around the world, a measure developed by the Institute has come out ahead for its ability to pick up workers’ risk of reporting a physical injury or a near-miss at work. The OHS Vulnerability Measure is now one of two tools recommended by the study team for use by the local workers’ compensation authority.

Employers are responsible for providing occupational health and safety (OHS) training and support to keep workers safe. When it comes to workers who are new to Canada, however, workplaces face particular challenges following through on this responsibility.

Efforts to date to improve the employment of persons with disabilities have focused on making them job-ready. A new initiative, a joint project at the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and McMaster University, now sets out to flip that approach on its head. It aims to “skill up” workplaces instead.  

An ongoing study at the Institute for Work & Health identified six key challenges that young people with disabilities are expected to face in the future of work. In a series of short videos, we describe six major trends that are expected to shape employment for vulnerable workers over the next 10 years—and the program or policies that have the potential to protect these workers. Watch the first video and take part in the study.  

Can work and labour market conditions be linked to worsened rheumatic symptoms in young adults with the disease? Most studies aimed at removing work barriers for young people with rheumatic diseases have focused on clinical care—not on adapting working conditions. An IWH study examined how job security and work limitations are linked with pain, fatigue and other rheumatic disease symptoms.

What do young adults with disabilities think about when they weigh their job options and consider their career goals in the future of work? In an IWH Speaker Series presentation on December 14, Institute Scientist Dr. Arif Jetha shares findings from his study on this question. He also discusses the supports young adults with disabilities need to face the challenges of a changing labour market and take advantage of its potential opportunities.

Workers at small firms say they are more frequently exposed to hazards and report more work-related injuries and illnesses than workers at large firms. But an Institute for Work & Health study finds the injury risks in large and small firms even out when weaker occupational health and safety policies at small firms are taken into account.

Are you a young person living with a disabling health condition? Do you have direct experience supporting young people with disabilities? Or do you have expertise in policy, labour markets, disability and employment or strategic foresight?

If you answer yes to any of the above, we invite you to take part in an online activity aimed at designing better future work supports for young people with disabilities. For more information about this study, please contact Kay Nasir by emailing knasir@iwh.on.ca.

In the next two decades, the world of work will look very different than it does today. Major forces are driving change: digital technologies, artificial intelligence, climate change, demographic shifts, and more. What does the future hold for people who already face barriers in the labour market? In a new project report, an IWH team led by Scientist Dr. Arif Jetha lays out nine trends and what they may mean. A summary of the report is also available in At Work.