Institute for Work & Health

What Institute for Work & Health does

The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization founded in 1990 (originally as the Ontario Workers' Compensation Institute) and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It conducts and mobilizes multidisciplinary research across epidemiology, statistics, economics, psychology, organizational behaviour, sociology, ergonomics, and clinical fields, focused on two broad areas: work as a determinant of health, and health as a determinant of work. IWH produces a portfolio of evidence-based tools and guides — most notably the DASH Outcome Measure (used in 55 languages worldwide) and the IWH Organizational Performance Metric (IWH-OPM, adopted across Saskatchewan, BC, and New Brunswick) — along with training programs, interactive tools, plain-language research summaries, and the IWH Speaker Series webinar program, serving policy-makers, employers, and workers across Ontario, Canada, and internationally.

The organization operates with over 50 employees and a tripartite Board of Directors under an arm's-length relationship with its core funder, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), which replaced the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board as primary funder in 2013. Revenue is supplemented by competitive peer-reviewed grants from WorkSafeBC, Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). IWH is embedded in an ecosystem of more than 35 partner organizations, including four MLITSD-funded sector-based OHS associations, multiple Centres of Research Excellence, and the Ontario prevention system.

As a not-for-profit, IWH does not sell products or services commercially; all tools, guides, and publications are provided free of charge to stakeholders. Distribution is self-serve via iwh.on.ca, with dissemination through newsletters, webinars, stakeholder networks (including IWH Connects, established 2024), social media, and direct knowledge transfer and exchange activities. The current five-year strategic plan covers 2023-2027 under the theme "Building on the past. Looking to the Future."

Name

Institute for Work & Health

Legal name

Institute for Work & Health

Website

https://iwh.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institute for Work & Health is an independent, Toronto-based not-for-profit research organization that conducts and mobilizes multidisciplinary research, tools, and guides to support policy-makers, employers, and workers in creating healthier, safer, and more inclusive work environments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Occupational Health and Safety Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work Injury & Workers’ Compensation / Occupational Injury Benefits (BPAIAKAJ), Public Health Workforce, Training & Capacity Building (HLAJAMAF)

Keywords

• Occupational health research
• Workplace safety research
• Injury prevention tools
• Return to work guides
• Disability prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Core Government Funding: Core funding from Province of Ontario administered by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). IWH maintains arm's-length relationship with the Ministry; research agenda, conduct, and reporting are determined independently.
2. Peer-Reviewed Research Grants: IWH scientists receive grants from funding agencies including WorkSafeBC, Manitoba Workers Compensation Board, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) through competitive peer-review processes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Institute for Work & Health is an independent, not-for-profit research organization that conducts and mobilizes multidisciplinary research to support policy-makers, employers, and workers in creating healthy, safe and inclusive work environments. It produces and disseminates evidence-based assessment tools, interactive planning tools, software, guides, training programs, and plain-language research summaries focused on occupational health and safety, work injury prevention, disability management, and return to work.

Product overview

The Institute for Work & Health operates as a research organization offering a portfolio of evidence-based tools, guides, educational resources, and knowledge exchange services focused on occupational health and safety, disability prevention, and return-to-work. The portfolio consists of 26 named tools and guides (including assessment instruments like the DASH Outcome Measure and IWH-OPM, interactive tools like JDAPT and DCIDE, evidence-based guides, and training programs like eOfficeErgo), complemented by plain-language research summaries in multiple formats, the IWH Speaker Series webinar program, Systematic Review Workshop training, and research impact case studies. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but provides discrete products and services that support policy-makers, employers, and workers in creating healthy, safe, and inclusive work environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DASH Outcome Measure (and QuickDASH) A 30-item self-report questionnaire, with a shorter 11-item version (QuickDASH), that measures physical function and symptoms in people with musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb. Used worldwide by clinicians and researchers in 55 languages to monitor change over time.
• IWH Organizational Performance Metric (IWH-OPM) An evidence-based, eight-item questionnaire that helps organizations assess and improve their occupational health and safety performance, indicating where improvements might be made to OHS policies and practices.
• OHS Vulnerability Measure A tool assessing the extent to which a worker may be vulnerable to occupational health and safety risks at work across four areas: hazard exposure; workplace policies and procedures; worker awareness; and worker empowerment.
• Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT) An interactive tool that identifies job demands difficult for a worker with a chronic, potentially episodic health condition and suggests personalized accommodation ideas tailored to those demands.
• Decision-Support for Communicating about Invisible Disabilities that are Episodic (DCIDE) A free tool that helps workers consider whether or not to share personal health information with others at work.
• Health & Safety Smart Planner Economic evaluation software designed for workplace OHS professionals and consultants to calculate the costs and benefits of workplace health and safety initiatives, as well as the costs of health and safety incidents.
• eOfficeErgo Evidence-based and standard-compliant online training program for employees who regularly use computers, teaching proper workstation setup to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
• Seven Principles for Successful Return to Work Evidence-based guide outlining seven principles associated with workplace practices that ensure the successful return of a worker after injury or illness.
• Safe Work Toolkit for Newcomers (Ontario) Educational toolkit containing everything needed to deliver instructional sessions to newcomers in Ontario on their occupational health and safety and workers' compensation rights and responsibilities.
• Working with a Rheumatic Disease Interactive tool for youth and young adults with rheumatic health conditions that helps them identify and address challenges when looking for work, already working, or unable to work due to their health condition.
• IWH Speaker Series A monthly livestream webinar series featuring new study findings from IWH researchers, with recordings available on demand.
• Systematic Review Workshop A capacity-building workshop that teaches stakeholders and students how to conduct and share systematic reviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mental health challenges cost employers over $100 billion a year in Canada
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore funder of IWH operations. Provides strategic investment in occupational health and safety to improve health and safety for Ontario workplaces. IWH maintains arm's-length relationship with the Ministry, with research agenda determined independently.
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent trust agency administering compensation and no-fault insurance for Ontario workplaces. Former core funder (until 2012) and continues as key system partner in Ontario's occupational health and safety ecosystem.
• Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four MLITSD-funded sector-based OHS associations, delivering consulting services, training programs and information resources to construction, electrical/utilities, and transportation sectors.
• Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLITSD-funded sector-based OHS association delivering consulting services, training programs and information resources to health-care, education, municipal, First Nations and provincial government sectors.
• Workplace Safety North (WSN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLITSD-funded sector-based OHS association serving forestry, mining, smelter, refining, paper, printing, converting sectors and northern Ontario businesses.
• Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLITSD-funded sector-based OHS association delivering consulting services, training programs and information resources to agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors.
• Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtects workers and communities from occupational disease, injuries and illnesses by identifying workplace factors detrimental to health and empowering workplace parties to make positive changes.
• Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLITSD-funded research center conducting research to improve understanding and prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
• Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease (CREOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLITSD-funded research center focused on prevention and early recognition of non-malignant occupational disease, including skin disease, respiratory disease, vibration disorders and biological hazards.
• Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased at Laurentian University, uses field-to-lab-to-field research approach engaging with workplace partners to solve occupational health and safety problems in northern industries.
• Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated to studying workplace cancer, identifying cancer-causing agents, increasing awareness of risks, and identifying best means to control carcinogen exposure.
• Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit association of Canadian researchers enhancing and promoting research on work health, safety and wellbeing in Canada.
• Cochrane CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian arm of Cochrane network producing high-quality systematic reviews free from commercial sponsorship for evidence-based decision-making.
• Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit research institute evaluating health-care delivery and outcomes using Ontario's health-related administrative data.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease (CREOD): Ontario research center focused on prevention and early recognition of occupational disease (respiratory, skin, vibration disorders). Peer within the same Ontario prevention system, sharing MLITSD funding pathways and IWH's stakeholder ecosystem.
• IRSST (Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail): Quebec's occupational health and safety research institute with a near-identical mandate, conducting independent research on workplace injury prevention, return-to-work, and rehabilitation. Most direct Canadian peer to IWH, differing primarily by jurisdiction.
• Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD): Ontario-based research center focused on work-related musculoskeletal disorders, also funded through MLITSD. Operates in an overlapping research domain with IWH and shares the same Ontario prevention system stakeholder network.
• Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW): Ontario-wide network of occupational disease and injury clinics providing diagnostic and prevention services. Sister organization within the Ontario prevention system, focused more on clinical service delivery but adjacent in research translation.
• Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC): Ontario research center dedicated to workplace cancer, carcinogen exposure, and prevention. Overlaps with IWH's occupational disease research portfolio and shares the same provincial funder base.
• Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Työterveyslaitos): Finland's national research institute for occupational health and safety, producing independent multidisciplinary research on work-related health, ergonomics, and psychosocial factors. Closest international equivalent in mission and structure to IWH.
• Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH): Laurentian University-based research center using a field-to-lab-to-field research approach for OHS in northern industries. An Ontario peer in applied occupational safety research, funded through similar provincial channels.

Broad incumbents

• NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health): The US federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. Far larger scale than IWH and broader in scope, but the closest large-incumbent comparator for occupational health research and policy influence.

Others

• Cochrane Work programme (Cochrane Canada): Produces systematic reviews on occupational safety and health topics free from commercial sponsorship. Overlapping methodology and stakeholder ecosystem with IWH, but operates as a global review network rather than a primary research institute.
• Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES): Ontario not-for-profit that evaluates health-care delivery using administrative data. IWH partners with ICES for data linkages and population-level studies - similar scale and structure, but focused on broader health-system research rather than occupational health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iwhresearch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/iwhresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/iwh.research
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-work-and-health
• Instagraminstagram.com/iwhnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Work & Health