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
- Accommodating and Communicating about Episodic Disabilities (ACED): A partnership to deliver workplace resources to sustain employment of people with chronic, episodic conditions. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Signature Initiative. Ongoing.
- Advancing research on AI adoption and the health, safety and well-being of workers. Funded by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), WorkSafeBC. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Artificial intelligence and occupational injury and illness in Ontario: implications for prevention and recovery. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Champions as social agents of change: what can we learn from worker well-being initiatives?. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Future-focused job accommodation practices for the school-to-work transition. Funded by Accessibility Standards Canada (Government of Canada). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Shahidi FV, Jetha A, Kristman VL, Smith PM, Gignac MA. The employment quality of persons with disabilities: findings from a national survey. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2023;33(4):785-795. doi:10.1007/s10926-023-10113-7.
- Jetha A. Three scenarios of a future working world [for young adults living with a disability]. Institute for Work & Health; 2023.
- Martin Ginis KA, Jetha A, Gignac MA. Experiential aspects of employment and their relationship with work outcomes: a cross-sectional study using a novel measure of participation in workers with and without physical disabilities. Disability and Health Journal. 2023;16(3):101448. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101448.
- Fisher SL, Bonaccio S, Jetha A, Winkler M, Birch GE, Gignac MA. Guidelines for conducting partnered research in applied psychology: an illustration from disability research in employment contexts. Applied Psychology. 2023;72(4):1367-1391. doi:10.1111/apps.12438.
- Jetha A, Tucker L, Shahidi FV, Backman C, Kristman VL, Hazel EM, Perlin L, Proulx L, Chen C, Gignac MA. How does job insecurity and workplace activity limitations relate to rheumatic disease symptom trajectories in young adulthood? A longitudinal study. Arthritis Care & Research. 2023;75(1):14-21. doi:10.1002/acr.24982.
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/