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
- Van Eerd D, Le Pouésard M, Yanar B, Irvin E, Gignac MA, Jetha A, Morose T, Tompa E. Return-to-work experiences in Ontario policing: injured but not broken. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2024;34(1):265–277. doi:10.1007/s10926-023-10135-1.
- Jetha A, Bonaccio S, Shamaee A, Banks CG, Bultmann U, Smith PM, Tompa E, Tucker LB, Norman C, Gignac MA. Divided in a digital economy: understanding disability employment inequities stemming from the application of advanced workplace technologies. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health. 2023;3:100293. doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100293.
- Jetha A, Shahidi FV. Racism: a neglected piece of the work disability management puzzle. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023;33(3):415-417. doi:10.1007/s10926-023-10133-3.
- Jetha A, Bakhtari H, Rosella LC, Gignac MA, Biswas A, Shahidi FV, Smith BT, Smith MJ, Mustard C, Khan N, Arrandale VH, Loewen PJ, Zuberi D, Dennerlein JT, Bonaccio S, Wu N, Irvin E, Smith PM. Artificial intelligence and the work-health interface: a research agenda for a technologically transforming world of work. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2023;66(10):815-830. doi:10.1002/ajim.23517.
- Jetha A, Navaratnerajah L, Shahidi FV, Carnide N, Biswas A, Yanar B, Siddiqi A. Racial and ethnic inequities in the return-to-work of workers experiencing injury or illness: a systematic review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023;33(3):432-449. doi:10.1007/s10926-023-10119-1.
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
- ‘My new co-worker is shiny’: Pandemic accelerated adoption of workplace robots. OHS Canada. April 25, 2022. Available from: https://www.ohscanada.com/features/my-new-co-worker-is-shiny/
- I struggled with office life. Now others are alive to benefits of remote working. The Guardian. July 25, 2021. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/25/working-from-home-mental-health
- Re-opening the economy should include access for young people with chronic disease . The Province. June 14, 2021. Available from: https://theprovince.com/opinion/op-ed/dr-arif-jetha-re-opening-the-economy-should-include-access-for-young-people-with-chronic-disease
- Education, type of work lessen pandemic job loss in youths with rheumatic diseases. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 104, Spring 2021.
- Nine trends that will likely shape future of work for groups of vulnerable workers. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 104, Spring 2021.