Listed below are selected articles published by organizations external to the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) that mention the Institute’s work. This includes articles that report on IWH research and/or quote Institute researchers, as well as articles written by IWH researchers or staff. The organizations include general media, specialty media in the field of work injury and disability prevention, and prevention system partners. The list runs from the most recent to the oldest media mention. It is not exhaustive.
She hit a breaking point at work and she’s not alone. Inside Canada’s worrying rise in mental health leave
There has been a rise in the number of Canadian workers going on short-term disability leave of all kinds since the pandemic, and experts say an increase in mental health leave is largely responsible, writes business reporter Estella Ren. Injury and leave data provided by IWH's Dr. Peter Smith help paint the picture.
Media outlet
The Toronto Star
Date published
Despite popularity, remote work is increasing feelings of isolation, mental distress: report
In an article on the link between remote work and feelings of isolation and mental distress, reporter Jim Wilson mentions Dr. Kathleen Dobson's work with CSA Group on an estimate of the mental health burden on Canada.
Media outlet
Human Resources Director Canada
Date published
Work stressors a major drag on productivity: report
An article about a Manulife report also references a 2019 study by IWH. It found better workplace conditions are linked not only with lower risks of mental illnesses, but also much improved worker mental health.
Media outlet
Workers Health & Safety Centre
Date published
Construction sector faces 'crisis' as poor mental health, suicide, substance use harms grow
Compared to the overall labour force in Ontario and Alberta, construction workers are almost twice as likely to die because of suicide and are two and a half times as likely to die because of substance use. Those are some of the early findings from a new analysis by the Institute for Work and Health, which identifies what some are calling a crisis among construction workers, writes Lindsay Kelly.
Media outlet
Northern Ontario Business
Date published
What Canadian employers can learn from Australian peers about supporting workers’ psychological health
When it comes to employees’ psychological health, Australian employers are increasingly focusing on reducing psychosocial risks in the workplace — and there are lessons for Canadian employers in this approach, writes Blake Wolfe, reporting on a webinar presentation by Dr. Peter Smith hosted by the Institute for Work & Health, during a webinar hosted by the organization on Tuesday.
Media outlet
Benefits Canada
Date published
Why safety data is now a strategic imperative for HR leaders
When HR and occupational health and safety (OHS) data are managed in concert, organizations gain a richer picture of workforce health – particularly in recognition of employee mental health as key to productivity and success. That was one of IWH's Dr. Peter Smith's comments in an article by Jeffrey R. Smith on why safety data is a strategic imperative for HR.
Media outlet
Human Resources Director Canada
Date published
Strengthening workplace safety for small business workers
Small businesses often experience higher worker injury and fatality rates than large organizations in the same sector due to limited health and safety knowledge and resources. A recent study conducted by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) addressed gaps in research on new businesses – often classified as small businesses – and occupational health and safety (OHS).
Media outlet
Workers Health & Safety Centre
Date published
Research, policy and practice converge at New Horizons in Safety Summit
Ontario's safety community gathered for a full day of research, policy debate and practical insight. Dr. Arif Jetha, associate scientific director and scientist at the Institute for Work and Health (IWH), delivered some of the day's most striking numbers, writes Shane Mercer.
Media outlet
Canadian Occupational Safety
Date published
Employers shoulder $110B burden as mental health costs Canada $180B a year
A new report from CSA Group’s Public Policy Centre pegs the annual economic cost of poor mental health in Canada at $180 billion, a figure the authors say is likely conservative, writes Shane Mercer. The modelling used in the report, co-authored by IWH's Dr. Kathleen Dobson, focuses largely on working‑age Canadians and counts direct health and social service spending alongside lost productivity.
Media outlet
Canadian Occupational Safety
Date published
Mental health illnesses costing employers $110 billion each year: report
Poor mental health now represents one of the largest cost and productivity risks facing Canadian employers, according to a new report co-authored by Olga Morawczynski, IWH's Kathleen Dobson and William Howatt, reports Jim Wilson.
Media outlet
Human Resources Director Canada
Date published