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
- van Dongen JM, van Wier MF, Tompa E, Bongers PM, van der Beek AJ, van Tulder MW, Bosmans JE. Trial-based economic evaluations in occupational health: principles, methods, and recommendations. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2014;56(6):563-572. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000165.
- Scott-Marshall H, Tompa E, Wang Y, Liao Q. Long-term mortality risk in individuals with permanent work-related impairment. Canadian Journal of Public Health. 2014;105(5):e330-e335.
- Guzman J, Ibrahimova A, Tompa E, Koehoorn M, Alamgir H. Nonwage losses associated with occupational injury among health care workers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2013;55(8):910-916. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e31828dc9ea.
- Tompa E, Dolinschi R, Natale J. Economic evaluation of a participatory ergonomics intervention in a textile plant. Applied Ergonomics. 2013;44(3):480-487. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2012.10.019.
- Tompa E, Mustard C. Adequacy of workers’ compensation benefits: supplemental report . Institute for Work & Health; 2013.
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
- Employers that focus on both operations and safety don’t have to sacrifice either. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 85, Summer 2016.
- Asbestos-related cancers cost Canada $2B. Asbestos.com: The Mesothelioma Center (Washington, DC). June 29, 2016. Available from: https://www.asbestos.com/news/2016/06/29/asbestos-related-cancer-cost-canada-2-billion/
- Asbestos-related cancer costs Canada billions. The Globe and Mail. June 16, 2016. Available from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/asbestos-related-cancer-costs-canadians-billions/article30621739/
- Peer coaching on patient lifts lowers injury, but at a small cost. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 84, Spring 2016.
- OHSA likely to raise fines in 2016. Electrical Contractor Magazine: National Electrical Contractors Association (Bethesda, MD). January 1, 2016. Available from: https://www.ecmag.com/section/your-business/osha-likely-raise-fines-2016