Dr. Arif Jetha
Dr. Arif Jetha is associate scientific director and scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. He is also an associate professor (status-only) at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Jetha earned his PhD in behavioural sciences and public health at the University of Toronto, and an MSc in health community and development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also held post-doctoral fellowships at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and the Institute for Work & Health.
Jetha’s program of research aims at understanding how sociopolitical, technological, environmental and economic changes that characterize the future of work affect the health and employment participation of vulnerable workers including young workers and persons living with disabilities. He is specifically interested in the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the health, safety and well-being of workers.
To pursue his research program, Jetha takes a systems perspective and uses a mixed-methods research approach. He collaborates closely with diverse research partners to produce findings that can inform policy and practice.
“The world of work is changing at a rapid rate. Studying the future of work allows me to understand the emerging challenges facing workers and create an evidence base that can be used to inform the design of policies and programs that are resilient to change and protect the most vulnerable.”
— Dr. Arif Jetha
Projects
- Conceal or reveal? Facilitators and barriers to older workers' communication of accommodation needs. Funded by Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada. Completed.
- Return to work in policing: synthesizing current practices and implementation guidance. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Completed.
- Transitioning to the future of work: an intersectional study of vulnerable youth and young adults. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Completed. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Jetha A, Lee H, Smith MJ, Arrandale VH, Biswas A, Mustard C, Smith PM. Landscape of artificial intelligence use for occupational health and safety practice in two Canadian provinces. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2025 epub ahead of print. doi:10.1002/ajim.70018.
- Gignac MA, Bowring J, Saunders R, Navaratnerajah L, Smith PM, Jetha A. Why are disclosure decisions so difficult? Understanding factors that encourage and discourage workers with a chronic disabling condition from disclosing health information at work. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2025 epub ahead of print. doi:10.1007/s10926-025-10326-y.
- Jetha A, Bakhtari H, Irvin E, Biswas A, Smith MJ, Mustard C, Arrandale VH, Dennerlein JT, Smith PM. Do occupational health and safety tools that utilize artificial intelligence have a measurable impact on worker injury or illness? Findings from a systematic review. Systematic Reviews. 2025;14(1):146. doi:10.1186/s13643-025-02869-1.
- Jetha A, Liao Q, Shahidi FV, Vu V, Biswas A, Smith B, Smith PM. Machine learning and the labor market: a portrait of occupational and worker inequities in Canada. Social Science & Medicine. 2025;381:118295. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118295.
- Di Giuseppe G, Jetha A, Pechlivanoglou P, Pole JD. Long-term dynamic financial impacts among adolescents and young adults with cancer: a longitudinal matched-cohort study. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2025 epub ahead of print. doi:10.1200/JCO-24-02121.
Speaker Series presentations
- Promoting labour market transitions for young adults with chronic disabling conditions: a systematic review. IWH Speaker Series. November 27, 2018.
- Life course concepts in the work experiences of people with arthritis. IWH Speaker Series. November 22, 2016.
Research summaries
- Three future of work scenarios to help develop inclusion strategies for young people with disabilities. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, May 2023.
- Education, type of work lessen pandemic job loss in youths with rheumatic diseases. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, June 2021.
- Nine trends that will likely shape future of work for groups of vulnerable workers. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, April 2021.
- Precarity more likely for older, new workers with disabilities. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, March 2021.
- Depressive symptoms in people with arthritis linked to lower employment rates. At Work article: Institute for Work & Health, October 2020.
Media coverage
- Top ranked strategies to support young persons with disabilities at work . Rehab & Community Care Medicine : BCS Communications Ltd.. October 11, 2024. Available from: http://publications.rehabmagazine.ca/publication/?i=832566&view=issueBrowser
- Top-ranked strategies to support young persons with disabilities in the future of work. Charity Village. August 9, 2024. Available from: https://charityvillage.com/top-ranked-strategies-to-support-young-persons-with-disabilities-in-the-future-of-work/
- AI is reshaping the workplace – but what does it mean for the health and well-being of workers?. Canadian Manufacturing. August 29, 2023. Available from: https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/features/ai-is-reshaping-the-workplace-but-what-does-it-mean-for-the-health-and-well-being-of-workers/
- AI is reshaping the workplace – but what does it mean for the health and well-being of workers?. The Conversation Canada. August 28, 2023. Available from: https://theconversation.com/ai-is-reshaping-the-workplace-but-what-does-it-mean-for-the-health-and-well-being-of-workers-209592
- How employers can support employees with psoriatic conditions. Benefits Canada. February 21, 2023. Available from: https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/disability-management/how-employers-can-support-employees-with-psoriatic-conditions/