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
- 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.
- 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)
- Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy: Envisioning the future of disability policy in Canada. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Ongoing.
- 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.
- Conceal or reveal? Facilitators and barriers to older workers' communication of accommodation needs. Funded by Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada. Ongoing.
Publications
- Alavinia SM, Jetha A, Hitzig SL, McCauley D, Routhier F, Noonan VK, Linassi G, Farahani F, Omidvar M, Jeyathevan G, Craven BC. Development of employment indicators to advance the quality of spinal cord injury rehabilitation care: SCI-High Project. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. 2021;1(44):S118-S133. doi:10.1080/10790268.2021.1955205.
- Cheng L, Jetha A, Cordeaux E, Lee K, Gignac MA. Workplace challenges, supports, and accommodations for people with inflammatory bowel disease: a scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2021 [epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1080/09638288.2021.1979662.
- Jetha A, Shamaee A, Bonaccio S, Gignac MA, Tucker LB, Tompa E, Bultmann U, Norman CD, Banks CG, Smith PM. Fragmentation in the future of work: a horizon scan examining the impact of the changing nature of work on workers experiencing vulnerability. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2021;64(8):649-666. doi:10.1002/ajim.23262.
- Gignac MA, Shahidi FV, Jetha A, Kristman VL, Bowring J, Cameron JI, Tonima S, Ibrahim S. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, financial worries, and perceived organizational support among people living with disabilities in Canada. Disability and Health Journal. 2021;14(4):101161. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101161.
- Jetha A, Tucker L, Chen C, Gignac MA. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment of Canadian young adults with rheumatic disease: longitudinal survey findings. Arthritis Care and Research. 2021;73(8):1146-1152. doi:10.1002/acr.24617.
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
- Precarious work a health threat for millennials. Toronto Star. August 26, 2018. Available from: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2018/08/26/precarious-work-a-health-threat-for-millennials.html
- Supervisors play key role in return from injury, study finds. Daily Commercial News. August 20, 2018. Available from: https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/ohs/2018/08/supervisors-play-key-role-return-injury-study-finds
- Supervisors who react with support can help injured workers return to the job. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 93, Summer 2018.
- Young adults with chronic conditions often struggle to access workplace supports . At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 90, Fall 2017.
- New study shows that life and career stage do matter when thinking about the impact of arthritis on employment. CAPA Newsletter: Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (Toronto, ON). May 1, 2017. Available from: http://www.arthritispatient.ca/news/may-2017/#employment