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
- Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): Evidence synthesis. Funded by New Frontiers in Research Fund (a Tri-Agency Program—CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
- Ontario Life After Work Injury Study: Understanding the long-term recovery and labour market outcomes of injured workers in Ontario. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Ongoing.
- Ontario Life After Work Injury Study: Understanding the long-term recovery and labour market outcomes of injured workers in the shadow of COVID-19. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Ongoing.
- Return to work in policing: synthesizing current practices and implementation guidance. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Ongoing.
- Tracking long-term outcomes of injured workers in Ontario to better target supports. Funded by Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Ongoing. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Tompa E, Robson LS, Sarnocinska-Hart A, Klassen R, Shevchenko A, Sharma S, Hogg-Johnson S, Amick B, Johnston D, Veltri A, Pagell M. Managing safety and operations: the effect of joint management system practices on safety and operational outcomes. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2016;58(3):e80-e89. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000616.
- MacEachen E, Kosny A, Stahl C, O'Hagan F, Redgrift L, Sanford S, Carrasco C, Tompa E, Mahood Q. Systematic review of qualitative literature on occupational health and safety legislation and regulatory enforcement planning and implementation. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 2016;42(1):42810. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3529.
- Tompa E, Dolinschi R, Alamgir H, Sarnocinska-Hart A, Guzman J. A cost-benefit analysis of peer coaching for overhead lift use in the long-term care sector in Canada. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2016;73(5):308-314. doi:10.1136/oemed-2015-103134.
- Lay M, Saunders R, Lifshen M, Breslin FC, LaMontagne AD, Tompa E, Smith PM. Individual, occupational, and workplace correlates of occupational health and safety vulnerability in a sample of Canadian workers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2016;59(2):119-128. doi:10.1002/ajim.22535.
- Tompa E, Kalcevich C, McLeod CB, Lebeau M, Fong D, McLeod K, Kim J, Demers P. Economic burden of lung cancer and mesothelioma in Canada due to occupational asbestos exposure (2015). Institute for Work & Health; 2015.
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
- Manufacturer learns participatory ergonomics worth the investment. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 72, Spring 2013.
- Mental health suffers among workers permanently impaired by job injury. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 72, Spring 2013.
- Research finds safety and operations can enhance each other. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 71, Winter 2013.
- Fall symposium addresses injury prevention and financial incentives. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 70, Fall 2012.
- What’s next for RAACWI?. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 68, Spring 2012.