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
- Getting the message right: strengthening RTW communication in B.C.'s health-care sector. Funded by WorkSafeBC Innovation at Work. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Role of accommodations and communication practices in supporting the employment participation of Canadians living with disabilities. Funded by Canadian Disability Participation Project. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Strengthening disability management in Ontario’s municipal sector. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Signature Initiative. Completed.
- Supporting the employment participation of Canadian young adults with chronic conditions: a systematic review. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Understanding employment transitions among people living with arthritis across the life course. Funded by Canadian Disability Participation Project, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Grant. Completed. (PI on the project)
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
- Three scenarios of a future working world: Using strategic foresight to imagine and respond to a changing world of work for young adults living with a disability in Canada. IWH Speaker Series. October 17, 2023.
- Racial and ethnic inequities in the return-to-work of workers following an injury or illness: Findings from a systematic review. IWH Speaker Series. January 17, 2023.
- What the future of work looks like to young people with disabilities. IWH Speaker Series. December 14, 2021.
- Fragmentation in the future of work: Exploring the impact of the changing nature of work on vulnerable workers. IWH Speaker Series. February 23, 2021.
- Promoting labour market transitions for young adults with chronic disabling conditions: a systematic review. IWH Speaker Series. November 27, 2018.
Interviews and articles
- What employers can learn from the NBA about returning to work amid COVID-19. The Conversation. April 5, 2021. Available from: https://theconversation.com/what-employers-can-learn-from-the-nba-about-returning-to-work-amid-covid-19-157022
- Precarity more likely for older, new workers with disabilities. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 103, Winter 2021.
- Canadian workers aren’t too worried about robots taking their jobs, web survey finds. Toronto Star. December 14, 2020. Available from: https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/09/16/canadian-workers-arent-too-worried-about-robots-taking-their-jobs-web-survey-finds.html
- Depressive symptoms in people with arthritis linked to lower employment rates. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 102, Fall 2020.
- Coronavirus: The risks to essential workers with hidden health conditions. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 100, Spring 2020.