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, Samosh D, Santuzzi AM. Guest editorial. The benefits of inclusion: disability and work in the 21st century. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 2022;41(3):309-317. doi:10.1108/EDI-04-2022-376.
- Mofidi A, Tompa E, Kalcevich C, McLeod CB, Lebeau M, Song C, Kim J, Demers PA. Occupational exposure to wood dust and the burden of nasopharynx and sinonasal cancer in Canada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022;19(3):1144. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031144.
- Tompa E, Mofidi A, Jetha A, lahey P, Buettgen A. Development and implementation of a framework for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 2022;41(3):318-339. doi:10.1108/EDI-07-2020-0186.
- Gewurtz RE, Harlos K, Tompa E, Oldfield M, Lysaght R, Moll S, Kirsh B, Sultan-Taieb H, Cook K, Rueda S. Retaining and supporting employees with mental illness through inclusive organizations: lessons from five Canadian case studies. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 2022;41(3):435-453. doi:10.1108/EDI-06-2020-0174.
- Tompa E, Mofidi A, Song C, Arrandale V, Jardine KJ, Davies H, Tenkate T, Demers PA. Break-even analysis of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) exposure interventions in the construction sector. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2021;63(11):e792-800. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002375.
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
- Researchers conclude that OSHA citations, penalties reduce workplace injuries. OSHA QuickTakes: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (Washington, DC). November 2, 2015. Available from: https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/quicktakes/qt110215.html
- Workers’ comp benefits keep poverty low among permanently impaired workers and their families, study by IWH finds. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 81, Summer 2015.
- Inspections with penalties linked to lower injuries: IWH review. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 81, Summer 2015.
- Lt. Gov. David Onley’s keynote speech at centre launch takes on myths about people with disabilities. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 75, Winter 2014.
- New research centre to examine work disability policy in Canada. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 75, Winter 2014.