COVID-19
COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. In short order, the world of work changed dramatically in Canada. Non-essential businesses were locked down. Some workers lost their jobs; others were sent home to work. Essential businesses kept going. Despite protections, workers in sectors ranging from health care to transportation to food production and retail faced risk of infection, illness and even death. IWH researchers are looking at the impact of the pandemic on workers and workplaces, and what it means going forward.
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At Work article
What can work-related COVID-19 cases tell us about how to prepare for the next pandemic?
A new study by IWH combined data sources to estimate work-related COVID-19 infection rates, using a method that took into account major shifts in where people worked.
Published: February 6, 2024
At Work article
Study of educators during pandemic found psychosocial conditions worse for those teaching online
In the fall of 2020, Ontario educators who taught in a virtual environment felt isolated and unsupported, while those working in-person experienced anxiety related to the risk of COVID transmission. That’s according a study of Ontario teachers, conducted by OHCOW and IWH.
Published: October 5, 2022
IWH in the media
More than 180 workers at this Toronto bakery got COVID-19 — but the public wasn’t informed. Why aren’t we being told about workplace outbreaks?
In April 2020, 184 employees at a Toronto bakery, many of them low-wage temporary workers, were diagnosed with COVID-19. One worker died. As Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports, the outbreak raises an urgent question. Why was the public never informed by authorities, when experts say workplaces can play a significant role in community transmission? IWH President Dr. Cam Mustard offers comments.
Published: Toronto Star, August 2020
At Work article
Anxiety levels among health-care workers during COVID-19 linked to inadequate PPE
Nearly six in 10 surveyed health-care workers in Canada reported anxiety levels surpassing an accepted threshold for clinical screening for the condition. Workers who reported more unmet PPE needs also reported higher levels of anxiety, according to a study by OHCOW.
Published: May 2020
At Work article
What research can do: How IWH research is responding to COVID-19
COVID-19 affects the work and health of people in Canada and around the world in vastly different ways. Research on the experiences of workers, and the effects of the pandemic on their health, is essential. Here's how IWH researchers are responding.
Published: May 2020
IWH in the media
COVID-19: One more reason to take mental health seriously
Many who work in the construction industry have direct experience of how important it is to support and understand mental health. Fortunately, the industry has recognized this problem and is working on solutions, writes Milwaukee consultant Bruce Morton in a column that cites Institute for Work & Health research on levels of depression following a work injury.
Published: The Daily Reporter, April 2020