Plain-language summaries
Institute for Work & Health (IWH) plain-language summaries condense research findings in various formats. At Work articles explain study results with comments from the study leads. Research Highlights summarize journal articles in easy-to-read, digest formats. Sharing Best Evidence summaries highlight findings from systematic reviews and other types of reviews conducted or led by IWH researchers. Issue Briefings discuss key research findings from IWH or elsewhere on topics that are of particular interest to policy-makers.
At Work article
At-work cannabis use linked to work factors, including some not expected: IWH study
Work characteristics linked to on-the-job consumption include lower job visibility, less chance of detection but also safety-sensitive or supervisory roles
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Research Highlights
Is precarious work more prevalent for people with disabilities? The role of age and job tenure
Workers with disabilities are no more likely than those without to work in precarious jobs. However, some subsets of people with disabilities are more likely to work in precarious jobs—older people or people with shorter job tenure. Contrary to expectation, younger people with disabilities are not more likely than older people with disabilities to have precarious jobs. Among people with and without disabilities, having better health is linked to a lower likelihood of working in precarious jobs.
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At Work article
People’s reasons for disclosing episodic disabilities linked to support they receive
IWH study examines the link between reasons for disclosing health conditions and outcomes of disclosure
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Issue Briefing
Incidence of COVID-19 transmission in Ontario workplaces
As the incidence of diagnosed cases escalates in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, it is important to understand the degree to which employment in the essential service sectors represents an increased risk of infection. This Issue Briefing examines what the available data says about the role of workplaces in COVID-19 transmission in Ontario, the relative contribution of workplace outbreaks to case numbers, and current information gaps at the population level.
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At Work article
Union firms have lower lost-time claim rates, study in ICI construction confirms
Study update by Institute for Work & Health backs up 2015 findings of ‘union safety effect’ in Ontario’s industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction sector
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At Work article
Cochrane back group earns high praise for its rigorous systematic reviews
Cochrane Back and Neck, housed at IWH until this year, has repeatedly ranked high in quality assessments and measures of impact
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At Work article
COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities in OHS and social security highlighted at global session
Despite diverse experiences, participants also raised common concerns at virtual global conference co-hosted by IWH and CCOHS
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At Work article
Adequacy of COVID infection control and PPE linked to workers’ mental health: study
Study conducted at the start of the COVID-19 emergency finds workers who felt safe at their physical worksites had better mental health than workers who felt workplace COVID-19 safety practices were inadequate
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At Work article
Depressive symptoms in people with arthritis linked to lower employment rates
Consistent patterns of work disability found among people with both arthritis and depressive symptoms, in nationally representative U.S. sample
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Research Highlights
Depression and work among adults with arthritis
About 13 per cent of working-age people in the U.S. who have arthritis also experience depressive symptoms. Having both arthritis and depressive symptoms lowers the likelihood of working. For people aged 35 to 54, having depressive symptoms in addition to arthritis lowers the likelihood of working by 17 per cent.
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At Work article
Socioeconomic gaps in early mortality widening over two decades: study
Despite overall decline, early death rate differences have widened between people with high and low income and education
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Research Highlights
Evaluating the effectiveness of mandatory working-at-heights training standards
The introduction of a mandatory training standard for construction workers using fall protection equipment is associated with a 19.6 per cent reduction in the incidence rate of lost-time claims due to falls targeted by the intervention. This decline is larger than an overall decline in injuries in the sector during the same time frame. Reductions in incidence rates are also largest among the smallest employers.
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Research Highlights
Employer perspectives on communication challenges when supporting episodic disabilities
Supporting people with episodic health conditions can be challenging from organizational perspectives. The challenges stem from the need to provide accommodation and support while respecting workers’ right to privacy, and to respond to unpredictable periods of disability while ensuring work units meet productivity demands.
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At Work article
What research can do: Estimating the role of workplaces in COVID-19 transmissions
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At Work article
Comparing the costs, benefits of silica dust prevention methods for construction workers
IWH economic analysis recommends a combination of methods to reduce silica dust exposure
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At Work article
Workplaces face many complex challenges when managing episodic disabilities: study
In interviews with IWH, employers describe difficulties supporting workers with invisible, recurring health conditions while respecting their privacy
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At Work article
Workers exposed to common hazards more likely to report their injuries: IWH study
Study conducted in B.C., Alberta, Ontario found injury reporting linked to hazard exposure and OHS awareness
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At Work article
Understanding challenges in hospitals’ workplace violence reporting systems
Institute for Work & Health study on workplace violence reporting in health care examines reasons why incidents are not disclosed
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Research Highlights
Urban-rural differences in work disability duration
People who live in more remote areas have more disability days following a work-related injury than people who live in large cities. However, there are exceptions to that pattern. Disability days are highest in the most remote rural areas. But they're second highest in the least remote rural areas, where at least 30 per cent of workers commute to an urban centre.
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