Institute for Work & Health

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Institute for Work & Health

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The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) aims to conduct and mobilize research that supports policy-makers, employers and workers in creating healthy, safe and inclusive work environments.

06/10/2026

A study by IWH F. Mustard postdoctoral researcher Dr. Cherise Regier, found that the impact of right-to-disconnect legislation depends on underlying labour rights landscapes. That includes the strength of trade unions, employment standards, regulatory enforcement, and worker involvement at the organizational level.

Her study found:

-Right-to-disconnect legislations enacted in several European states were associated with uneven impact on worker wellbeing.

-Their varied effectiveness across countries highlights the importance of the underlying industrial relations system.

-Unequal effects for men and women pointed to potential structural gender inequality in the labour market.

Read about the study at the link in the comments 👇

06/04/2026

What matters when Canadians decide to drive, walk, bike or take public transit to work?

A joint study by IWH and the Public Health Agency of Canada looks at the built environment and the social characteristics of neighbourhoods.

A key finding is that workers were more likely to commute actively if the neighbourhoods near their work and home have the infrastructure to support it—like bike paths, greenery on streets, or public transit options.

Read about the study at the link in the comments 👇

05/26/2026

This Human Resources Director Canada article highlights the need to integrate safety data into HR strategy, pointing to the financial benefits as a key factor when making the case to senior leadership.

Says IWH President and Senior Scientist Dr. Peter Smith, quoted in the article: “Often businesses fail to see the broader economic returns of investing in safety. There’s research that shows that when organizations move beyond compliance, they tend to reduce turnover, retain high quality staff, and improve product quality.”

05/21/2026

This spring, we were pleased to host our third annual IWH Connects meeting! The day brought together a network of health and safety leaders to share and discuss findings in three areas of IWH research. There were lots of lively and thoughtful conversations throughout the day. Thanks to everyone who attended and participated!

The discussions had will help stakeholders use and share these research insights, and inform future IWH work in these areas. Read about the presentations at the link in the comments 👇

The research topics included:

-the ways new businesses start managing health and safety (Dr. Lynda Robson)
-the challenges faced by those providing workplace disability supports (Dr. Monique Gignac), and
-the research landscape on substance use and work (Dr. Nancy Carnide).

05/19/2026

How are different jurisdictions preventing and managing work-related psychological injuries?

On May 26, join Dr. Peter Smith, IWH president and senior scientist, who will share study findings about existing approaches across Canada and Australia.

He'll also outline other IWH research on psychosocial work factors and return-to-work challenges for those with work-related psychological conditions.

Register at the link in the comments 👇

05/14/2026

To understand how new businesses start managing health and safety, a team led by Dr. Lynda Robson surveyed owners of new Ontario businesses.

In this IWH Speaker Series presentation, she discusses what study participants reported about:

-occupational health and safety (OHS) management activities
-OHS information sources
-experiences with the Ontario OHS system
-barriers to taking OHS actions, and
-preferences for receiving OHS information.

She also highlights factors associated with starting OHS management, and the implications of the study for research and policy.

Watch the full presentation: https://buff.ly/Yegwap7

05/13/2026

Workers in small businesses have higher rates of work-related injuries and fatalities than those in larger businesses, even within the same sector.

Having health and safety practices in place early on could help prevent incidents in small businesses. But the newest businesses may not know where to start, or have the resources to manage health and safety.

Also, there are few programs or policies that exist to help new businesses start managing health and safety, according to an IWH study by Drs. Lynda Robson and Dwayne Van Eerd.

The study did find programs aimed at small businesses of any age that could be applied early in their lifecycle. Read about the tactics they used at the link in the comments 👇

05/11/2026

Applications are now open for IWH’s Cameron Mustard Early Career Accelerator Award!

This award is designed to support an early career researcher in the field of work and health. It pays tribute to Dr. Cameron Mustard’s 20-year presidency at IWH and his commitment to mentoring future generations of work and health researchers.

Apply by June 19 at the link in the comments 👇

05/05/2026

This week is ! It's a great time to raise awareness of the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace.

A great place to start for prevention is our Tools and Guides page, linked in the comments. It houses our evidence-based resources for workers and workplaces to improve their health and safety at work in a number of areas, such as:

-strategies for keeping workers safe in language-diverse workplaces
-planning for workplace accommodations based on a job's demands (JDAPT)
-ergonomics training for office workers (eOfficeErgo)

You can also check out the Safety and Health Week website, linked in the comments, for events and resources to spread awareness of the week. 👇

Address

400 University Avenue
Toronto, ON
M5G1S5

Website

http://www.iwh.on.ca/

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