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. Tompa holds 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.
- Cost to Canadians of excluding people with disabilities from the labour market . Funded by Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Estimating the financial benefits of OHS prevention expenditures: a study of Ontario employers. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Completed.
Publications
- Mofidi A, Tompa E, Spencer J, Kalcevich C, Peters CE, Kim J, Song C, Mortazavi SB, Demers P. The economic burden of occupational non-melanoma skin cancer due to solar radiation. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 2018;15(6):481-191. doi:10.1080/15459624.2018.1447118.
- Oldfield M, Gewurtz R, Tompa E, Harlos K, Kirsh B, Lysaght R, Macdougall A, Moll S, Rueda S, Sultan-Taieb H. Improving workplaces to enable people living with mental illness to stay in their jobs. OOHNA Journal. 2018;37(1):46-49.
- Jung YL, Tompa E, Longo C, Kalcevich C, Kim J, Song C, Demers P. The economic burden of bladder cancer due to occupational exposure. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 2018;60(3):217-225. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000001242 .
- Scott KA, Liao Q, Fisher GG, Stallones L, DiGuiseppi C, Tompa E. Early labor force exit subsequent to permanently impairing occupational injury or illness among workers 50-64 years of age. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2018;61(4):317-325. doi:10.1002/ajim.22817.
- Scott KA, Fisher GG, Baron AE, Tompa E, Stallones L, DiGuiseppi C. Same-level fall injuries in US workplaces by age group, gender, and industry. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2018;61(2):111-119. doi:10.1002/ajim.22796.
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
- Ontario’s $500,000 safety fine will reduce workplace injuries and fatalities, says expert. Human Resources Director Canada. December 4, 2024. Available from: https://www.hcamag.com/ca/specialization/workplace-health-and-safety/ontarios-500000-safety-fine-will-reduce-workplace-injuries-and-fatalities-says-expert/516648
- 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/