Innovative research drives better workplace policies which improves the quality of life for Canadian workers. Our faculty are leading experts in their field, their research advances our understanding of employment relations and helps direct policy in Canadian workplaces. Learn more about the key areas that impact and define employment relations and see how our faculty are shaping the world of work.
Featured
A selection of highlighted research
It's no surprise that people remain silent at work in the face of problems - fear of retribution can be an effective muzzle. But what motivates people to put aside any potential personal costs and voice their concerns?
As part of his For Better or Worse series, Professor Weinberg's 'Til Dissoultion Do Us Part article argues there is little evidence to suggest one type of first contract arbitration is better than another at promoting sustainable bargaining relationships.
Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior
Why do some employees feel they deserve more for doing less? Does entitlement lead to unethical behaviour? How do entitled customer interactions affect the psychological well being of front line staff? Learn more about the research being done on excessive entitlement in workplace settings and what it means for human resource management.
Long before COVID-19 changed the world, our faculty were studying the importance of compassionate care and compassion in the workplace.
Direct support workers play a critical role in promoting social inclusion and independence among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and report high levels of satisfaction with the nature of their work. But can highly rewarding work still be a source of burnout if there are no organizational supports in place?
Working in the corrections service industry poses personal safety risks - but what about the risks to a worker’s mental and emotional health? Professor Hickey and MIR Candidate Ryan Horbay analyze the findings from a survey of corrections officers and probation officers in Ontario.
A major research project which evaluated a ten-year effort by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) to enhance workforce development and HR strategies in Ontario’s social services sector.
Labor Economics and Labour Policy
A large number of disabled Canadian workers do not receive the accommodations they need to work productively, or at all. Are employers hesitant to introduce accommodations because of economic considerations, stereotypes about the link between age and disability, or the fact that certain types of accommodation may conflict with workplace culture. What does this mean for the law, policy and an aging population?
Prepared for the Ontario Drummond Commission, this report suggests potential reforms to the industrial relations system in Ontario's public sector that could improve efficiencies while enhancing the delivery of education and health care services.
Can you hold employers and unions accountable for negotiating agreements that are funded by public money?
Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining
Canada's labour arbitration system was established to provide a quick, fair and efficient resolution to workplace disputes. Yet it now takes on average a year - sometimes more - to resolve a case through labour arbitration, threatening its very purpose and relevancy.
In this series of articles, Professor Weinberg investigates how conflict and interventions such as third-party dispute resolution procedures and First Contract Arbitration affect the health and sustainability of bargaining relationships.
Are there alternate paths to resolving construction industry disputes that are less complicated, less contentious and cheaper than funnelling everything through an overburdened Ontario Labour Relations Board?