Employment and health

How the health of individuals is influenced by, among other things, their employment status, earnings, work environment, workloads, use of technology and the extent and intensity of their working time.

Woman in white coat and apron puts tray in oven
On

About

This workstream is concerned with connections between work and employment and physical and mental health. We are interested in how the health of individuals is influenced by, among other things, their employment status, earnings, work environment, workloads, use of technology and the extent and intensity of their working time. The workstream is concerned with how these various work and employment phenomena affect workers’ health in the short and longer-term, and at different points in their life course. Equally, we are interested in how existing health conditions influence the ability of individuals to access, remain and progress in employment and the relationship between the quality of their health and the quality of their working lives. 

At the heart of all our activities are two linked questions of practical significance: firstly, how can the negative impacts of work on health be reduced and, secondly, how can the positive contribution that work might make to a healthy lifespan be enhanced? As such, the activities and outputs of the workstream are likely to be of interest to regional and national policy makers, international organisations, employers, trade unions and other work and employment stakeholders. The workstream aims to engage with such organisations so as to share knowledge and collaborate in ways that have the potential to contribute to sustainable improvements in workers’ health across their lifespans.

Methodologies

The workstream’s research activities involve the use of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Staff and PhD students

  • Prof. Jason Heyes (theme lead)

  • Dr Susan Baxter - ScHARR 

  • Dr Isaiah Durosaiye - Architecture 

  • Prof. Liddy Goyder - ScHARR

  • Prof. Damian Hodgson - Management 

  • Dr Rita Neves - Management 

  • Prof. Alan Walker – Sociological Studies

  • Dr Meesha Warmington - Education 

  • Dr Lorna Warren – Sociological Studies 

  • Dr Liz Williams- OM