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. Experience rating in workers' compensation. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety. 2012;10(1):42737.
- Hogg-Johnson S, Robson LS, Cole DC, Amick B, Tompa E, Smith PM, Van Eerd D, Mustard C. A randomised controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted occupational health and safety consultation or inspection in Ontario manufacturing workplaces. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2012;69(12):890-900. doi:10.1136/oemed-2011-100333.
- Mansfield L, MacEachen E, Tompa E, Kalcevich C, Endicott M, Yeung N. A critical review of literature on experience rating in workers' compensation systems. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety. 2012;10(1):42819.
- Soklaridis S, Cassidy JD, van der Velde G, Tompa E, Hogg-Johnson S. The economic cost of return to work: an employer's perspective. Work. 2012;43(3):255-262. doi:10.3233/WOR-2012-1415.
- Smith PM, Hogg-Johnson S, Mustard C, Chen C, Tompa E. Comparing the risk factors associated with serious versus and less serious work-related injuries in Ontario between 1991 and 2006. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2012;55:84-91. doi:10.1002/ajim.21000.
Speaker Series presentations
- Skills development barriers for persons with disabilities and the promising practices to address them. IWH Speaker Series. April 18, 2023.
- Development and implementation of a framework for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society. IWH Speaker Series. February 8, 2022.
- Introducing the new CSA standard for work disability management systems. IWH Speaker Series. February 4, 2020.
- Estimating the economic burden of work injuries and illnesses in the European Union. IWH Speaker Series. November 12, 2019.
- An impact analysis of two silica dust exposure reduction strategies. IWH Speaker Series. November 6, 2018.
Interviews and articles
- National conference on disability and work offered sweeping overview of complex issues . At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 91, Winter 2018.
- Study update: New cases of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer from one year cost $2.35B. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 90, Fall 2017.
- Developing standards for managing workplace disability. Rehab & Community Care Medicine: BCS Communications Ltd. (Toronto, ON). May 1, 2017. Available from: http://pub.rehabmagazine.ca/publication/index.php?i=396322&m=1929&l=1&p=1&pre=&ver=html5#{%22issue_id%22:396322,%22page%22:14}
- Bill introduced to end asbestos use in the province . Sarnia Observer: Sun Media (Sarnia, ON). December 9, 2016. Available from: http://www.theobserver.ca/2016/12/09/bill-introduced-to-end-asbestos-use-in-the-province
- Experience rating design differences lead to different outcomes in Ontario and B.C.. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 86, Fall 2016.