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
- Risk factors for work injury among youth: a systematic review. Funded by Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Completed.
Publications
- Tompa E, Scott-Marshall H, Fang M. Social protection and the employment contract: the impact on work absence. Work. 2010;37(3):251-260. doi:10.3233/WOR-2010-1077.
- Tompa E, Dolinschi R, de Oliveira C, Amick B, Irvin E. A systematic review of workplace ergonomic interventions with economic analyses. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2010;20(2):220-234. doi:10.1007/s10926-009-9210-3.
- Tompa E, Verbeek J, van Tulder MW, de Boer A. Developing guidelines for good practice in the economic evaluation of occupational safety and health interventions. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. 2010;36(4):313-318.
- Tompa E, Dolinschi R, de Oliveira C, Irvin E. A systematic review of occupational health and safety interventions with economic analyses. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2009;51(9):1004-1023. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181b34f60.
- Tompa E, Dolinschi R, Laing AC. An economic evaluation of a participatory ergonomics process in an auto parts manufacturer. Journal of Safety Research. 2009;40(1):41-47.
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
- New social innovation lab launched to build employer disability confidence. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 112, Spring 2023.
- New federal initiative aiming to increase employment rate of persons with disabilities. Benefits Canada. May 19, 2023. Available from: https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/bencan/new-federal-initiative-aiming-to-increase-employment-rate-of-persons-with-disabilities/
- New initiative ‘skills up’ employers to hire, promote, support workers with disabilities. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 109, Summer 2022.
- It’s time for a culture shift where disability inclusion is concerned. The Globe and Mail. June 12, 2022. Available from: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-its-time-for-a-culture-shift-where-disability-inclusion-is-concerned/
- How government funding can best support the employment of persons with disabilities. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 108, Spring 2022.