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
- Perri M, McColl MA, Khan A, Jetha A. Scanning and synthesizing Canadian policies that address the school-to-work transition of youth and young adults with disabilities. Disability and Health Journal. 2021;14(4):101122. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101122.
- Jetha A, Shamaee A. Fragmentation dans l'avenir du travail. Institute for Work & Health; 2021.
- Jetha A, Shamaee A. Fragmentation in the future of work. Institute for Work & Health; 2021.
- Jetha A, Johnson SR, Gignac MA. Unmet workplace support needs and lost productivity of workers with systemic sclerosis: a path analysis study. Arthritis Care and Research. 2021;73(3):423-431. doi:10.1002/acr.24123.
- Gignac MA, Bowring J, Jetha A, Beaton DE, Breslin FC, Franche RL, Irvin E, MacDermid JC, Shaw WS, Smith PM, Thompson A, Tompa E, Van Eerd D, Saunders R. Disclosure, privacy and workplace accommodation of episodic disabilities: organizational perspectives on disability communication-support processes to sustain employment. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2021;31(1):153-165. doi:10.1007/s10926-020-09901-2.
Speaker Series presentations
- Life course concepts in the work experiences of people with arthritis. IWH Speaker Series. November 22, 2016.
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.