Dr. Emile Tompa
Dr. Emile Tompa is a senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. He holds appointments as an associate professor in the Department of Economics at McMaster University and as an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Tompa is a labour and health economist with an MBA from the University of British Columbia, an MA in economics from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in economics from McMaster University.
Tompa’s research interests include the consequences of occupational health and safety system design on the health and well-being of individuals and populations, the economic evaluation of workplace interventions for improving the health and well-being of workers, the economic burden of adverse health conditions and disability, and the analysis of disability policy systems. Most recently, Tompa received a six-year funding envelope as the nominated principal applicant from the New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation Stream for a social innovation laboratory called Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA). The initiative is focused on skilling up employers to advance their abilities to tap into diverse talent pools, with a focus on persons with disabilities.
“How to get the most for the least, that’s the basis for economics. I am interested in analyzing issues related to occupational health and safety and work disability prevention and management from the standpoint of this basic challenge.” – Dr. Emile Tompa
Projects
- Future-proofing young Canadians with disabilities for the changing labour market. Funded by New Frontiers in Research Fund (a Tri-Agency Program—CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Implementation of a comprehensive accommodation and reintegration program in a police service. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Ongoing.
- Implementation of PTSI programs in Alberta first responder organizations. Funded by Government of Alberta. Ongoing.
- Incentives-based approaches to support stay at work/return to work: an environmental scan. Funded by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), WorkSafeBC. Ongoing.
- Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): A social innovation lab to increase demand-side capacity to employ persons with disabilities in Canada. Funded by New Frontiers in Research Fund (a Tri-Agency Program—CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Woticky G, Jetha A, Tompa E, Gignac MA. Disclosure Decisions of Workers Living with a Chronic Health Condition Causing Disability at Work: Are Decisions to Disclose to Co-workers and Supervisors Different?. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2024 epub ahead of print. doi:10.1007/s10926-024-10235-6.
- Gignac MA, Bowring J, Navaratnerajah L, Saunders R, Jetha A, Thompson A, Shaw WS, Franche RL, Van Eerd D, Irvin E, Tompa E, MacDermid JC, Smith PM. The Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT): a nine-month evaluation of use, changes in self-efficacy, presenteeism, and absenteeism in workers with chronic and episodic disabilities. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2024 epub ahead of print. doi:10.1007/s10926-024-10231-w.
- McLeod CB, Macpherson RA, He A, Amick B, Koehoorn M, Tompa E. The impact of regulatory workplace safety inspections on workers' compensation claim rates. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2024;67(10):877-887. doi:10.1002/ajim.23640.
- 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.
- Bondebjerg A, Filges T, Pejtersen JH, Kildemoes MW, Burr H, Hasle P , Tompa E, Bengtsen E. Occupational health and safety regulatory interventions to improve the work environment: an evidence and gap map of effectiveness studies. Campbell Systematic Reviews. 2023;19(4):e1371. doi:10.1002/cl2.1371.
Speaker Series presentations
- Systematic review of the effectiveness of OHS regulatory enforcement. IWH Speaker Series. May 5, 2015.
- Income security and labour-market engagement: Envisioning the future of work disability policy in Canada. IWH Speaker Series. February 11, 2014.
- Work disability trajectories under three workers' compensation programs. IWH Speaker Series. April 2, 2013.
- The impact of temporary employment and job tenure on sickness absence. IWH Speaker Series. May 4, 2010.
Interviews and articles
- Research team examines the relationship between business and OHS outcomes. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 54, Fall 2008.
- Community-based research explores impact of job injuries on workers’ lives. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 57, Summer 2009.
- Is it worth it? Determining the costs and benefits of workplace interventions. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 45, Summer 2006.
- Scientist-worker alliance to study work injury. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 45, Summer 2006.