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. He is specifically interested in the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the health, safety and well-being of workers. Also, Jetha leads research on how changing working conditions can shape the labour market experiences of young workers and persons living with disabilities at the early career phase and across the life course.
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. Jetha is currently the recipient of the Stars Career Development Salary Award from the Arthritis Society.
“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
- Job quality and wellbeing in Canada: generating insights on the new world of work. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Preventing work disability among millennial young adults with rheumatic disease. Funded by Arthritis Society Operating Grant. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Return to work in policing: synthesizing current practices and implementation guidance. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Ongoing.
- Transitioning to the future of work: an intersectional study of vulnerable youth and young adults. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- What are the long-term health and labour market outcomes of workers who experienced work-related COVID-19 transmission?. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Ongoing.
Publications
- Jetha A, Besen E, Smith PM. Comparing the relationship between age and length of disability across common chronic conditions. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2016;58(5):485-491. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000702.
- Jetha A, Pransky G, Fish J, Hettinger LJ. Return-to-work within a complex and dynamic organizational work disability system. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2016;26(3):276-285. doi:10.1007/s10926-015-9613-2.
- Jetha A, Badley EM, Beaton DE, Fortin PR, Shiff NJ, Gignac MA. Unpacking early work experiences of young adults with rheumatic disease: an examination of absenteeism, job disruptions and productivity loss. Arthritis Care & Research. 2015;67(9):1246-1254. doi:10.1002/acr.22601.
- Jetha A, Badley EM, Beaton DE, Fortin PR, Shiff NJ, Rosenberg AM, Tucker LB, Mosher DP, Gignac MA. Transitioning to Employment with a Rheumatic Disease: The Role of Independence, Overprotection, and Social Support. Journal of Rheumatology. 2014;41(12):2386-2394. doi:jrheum.140419.
- Gignac MA, Jetha A, Bowring J, Beaton DE, Badley EM. Management of work disability in rheumatic conditions: a review of non-pharmacological interventions. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology. 2012;26(3):369-386. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2012.05.001.
Speaker Series presentations
- Life course concepts in the work experiences of people with arthritis. IWH Speaker Series. November 22, 2016.
Interviews and articles
- Coronavirus: The risks to essential workers with hidden health conditions. The Conversation. April 15, 2020. Available from: https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-the-risks-to-essential-workers-with-hidden-health-conditions-135819
- Despite social distancing, many front-line public workers feel the strain. The Globe and Mail. March 20, 2020. Available from: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/article-despite-social-distancing-many-front-line-public-workers-feel-the/
- The future of work will hit vulnerable people the hardest. The Conversation. March 2, 2020.
- What’s causing the bottleneck in disability management?. Canadian HR Reporter. February 24, 2020. Available from: https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/wellness-mental-health/whats-causing-the-bottleneck-in-disability-management/326532
- Grant round-up: Anticipating future risks among externally funded projects under way at IWH. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 99, Winter 2020.