Dr. Emile Tompa

Scientist

PhD, Economics, McMaster University

For Dr. Emile Tompa, studying economics was a natural outcome of his interest in the sustainability of our resources. “How to get the most for least, that’s the basis for economics,” he explains. “I wanted to analyze issues relating to occupational health and safety from the standpoint of this basic question.”

As a scientist with the Institute for Work & Health, Dr. Tompa is studying the adequacy of workers’ compensation benefits in cases of permanent impairment. “There is anecdotal evidence that these benefits do not provide economic security for some workers after a permanent injury,” says Dr. Tompa. “We want to understand the success of injured workers in recovering a fraction of their earnings when it is not possible for them to fully return to the labour market.”

Dr. Tompa is also pursuing research into the effectiveness of experience rating programs. These programs encourage vigilance around health and safety by providing employer rebates on compensation premiums for good performance. They have been associated with reduced claims rates for workplace injuries. What remains unclear is the degree to which experience rating programs are also responsible for lower injury rates.

“It’s important that we get the most from our insurance programs,” he says, coming back to the question of resources. “We want to maximize the positive aspects of these programs and minimize the negative. That’s what this research is about.”