Work and health within broader societal context

Work has a role to play in producing and maintaining inequalities in population health. But broader conditions outside work—such as economic conditions, housing affordability and access to childcare—can impact employment quality and worker health and safety. Similarly, social and income support systems can shape the experiences of workers facing a job interruption, and accessibility legislation can impact employment opportunities for persons living with disabilities. Our research explores how workers and workplaces are affected by changes to labour, social and health laws and policies, as well as by macro economic and societal conditions.

Latest findings

A man with his head in his hand looks at a row of empty pill bottles

Formerly injured workers have higher risk of opioid-related harms than the general population in Ontario

An IWH study found that formerly injured workers had higher risks of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for opioid-related harms than the general Ontario population across most occupation and industry groups,
A group of physician's sitting in a room, prepared to take notes.

Primary care physicians’ learning needs in returning ill or injured workers to work

While primary care physicians play an important role in helping ill and injured workers return to work (RTW), they have a variety of learning needs about how to best navigate the RTW process. These needs fall in the areas of completing administrative tasks, challenging personal beliefs, understandin
A graphic depicting a crowd of people

Racial and ethnic inequities in the return-to-work process

In the first systematic review on racial and ethnic inequities in return to work, IWH found strong evidence that non-white workers are less likely than white workers to return to work following an injury or illness—and moderate evidence that Black workers face pronounced barriers.