Zofia Bajorek
BA, MSc, PhD
Senior Research Fellow
zofia.bajorek@employment-studies.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7104 2074
Zofia joined IES as a Research Fellow in June 2018. Her main interests include the role of line managers and the development of the employment relationship, the management of the psychological contract, the temporary and flexible workforce, and the health and wellbeing of the workforce, including the promotion of good work practices.
Prior to joining IES, Zofia was the lead researcher in HR and Management at the Work Foundation, where she worked on a number of projects related to a range of workforce issues, including systematic reviews for workplace policy and management practices to improve the health of employees, the health and wellbeing of the ageing workforce and performance-related pay in the public sector. Zofia has also undertaken a mixed-method study to understand the role of employee engagement in the NHS for staff and patient outcomes, and contributed to a number of policy papers providing recommendations to improve the health and wellbeing of the workforce.
Zofia completed a PhD in management studies at King’s College London, focusing on the management of temporary staff in the accident and emergency department, and the impact this can have on patient safety and service quality, which included two distinct case studies involving interviewing hospital staff at the macro, meso and micro level.
She has since used a range qualitative skills to explore how employers and employees can manage long-term chronic conditions at work (eg inflammatory bowel disease) and the role of self-management for chronic conditions. Zofia also has an interest in gender equality in the workplace and has undertaken in-depth qualititative research looking at the under-application of women to Queen’s Counsel (QC) status. Zofia is also interested in understanding the future of the workplace and discussing workforce trends.
Zofia was placed in the top 10 of HR Magazines Most Influential Thinker list in 2022.
Education
Graduation year | Higher education institution | Qualification, subject |
2014 | King's College London | PhD, Management Studies |
2006 | University of Nottingham | MSc, Occupational Psychology |
2004 | University of Exeter | BA, Psychology |
Career
2013-2018 | Lead Researcher in HR and Management, The Work Foundation |
2007-2008 | Assistant Researcher and Research Administrator, Legal Services Research Centre |
Research publications
- Slides: Improving employer support for those working with cancer, Zofia Bajorek, , IES, Oct 2024
- Improving employer support for those working with cancer: The Bevan report, Bajorek Z, Wilson S, Cook J, , Institute for Employment Studies, Oct 2024
- Supporting healthy lifestyles among young adults in the workplace, Orlando C, Oxenham A, Bajorek Z, Smith B, van Sluijs E, Wilson S, Martin A, Fairbrother H, Winpenny E , , Institute for Employment Studies, Sep 2024
- Teachers' professional development journeys, Pollard E, Williams C, Nancarrow A, Talbot J, Cook J,Williams J, Bajorek Z, Illidge L, , Institute for Employment Studies , May 2024
- Fairness and wellbeing, Bajorek Z, , Institute for Employment Studies , Mar 2024
- Neurodiversity, jobsearch and work - a review of the evidence, Bajorek Z, Plowden Roberts C, , Institute for Employment Studies , Mar 2024
- Over-50s employment support, Bajorek Z, Dewar L, Wilson T, , Institute for Employment Studies , Oct 2023
- El estigma de la obesidad y el empleo en España, Campbell B, Bajorek Z, Bevan S, Muir D, , Institute for Employment Studies , Aug 2023
- Obesity stigma and employment in the Netherlands , Campbell B, Bajorek Z, Bevan S, , Institute for Employment Studies , Jul 2023
- Slides: Mental health at work, Bajorek Z, , Institute for Employment Studies , Jun 2023
- Slides: Out of sight not out of mind, Bajorek Z, , Institute for Employment Studies , Mar 2023
- Slides: obesity stigma at work , Bajorek Z, , Institute for Employment Studies , Oct 2022
- Job crafting and flexible working in general practice, Bevan S, Bajorek Z, Edwards M, Plowden Roberts C, , Institute for Employment Studies , Oct 2022
- Have organisations squeezed the ‘squeezed middle’ too much?, Bajorek Z, HR Network paper 159, Institute for Employment Studies, Sep 2022
- Healthcare professionals, obesity and employment , Bajorek Z, Bevan S, , Institute for Employment Studies, Mar 2022
- Lessons from Lockdown: No going back , Parry, J., Young, Z., Bevan, S., Veliziotis, M., Baruch, Y.,Beigi, M., Bajorek, Z., Richards,S. and Tochia,C. (2022) , , Institute for Employment Studies/Work After Lockdown, Mar 2022
- HR Network event: What are we learning about managing a hybrid workforce? , Claire Campbell and Zofia Bajorek, , HR Network, Feb 2022
- Perspectives on HR 2021, Campbell C, Hirsh W, Bajorek Z, Ranasinghe U, Poole K, Brown D, Lucy D, Bevan S, , Institute for Employment Studies , Dec 2021
- Returning to the workplace after Covid-19, Bajorek Z, Bevan S , , Institute for Employment Studies, Sep 2021
- Living and working with obesity, Bajorek Z, Mason B, Edwards M, Bevan S , , Institute for Employment Studies , Jul 2021
- Working well? How the pandemic changed work for people with health conditions, Mason B, Edwards M, Bajorek Z, Bevan S, , Centre for Ageing Better, Jun 2021
- Out of sight, not out of mind , Bajorek Z, HR Network paper 148, Institute for Employment Studies, Mar 2021
- Working from Home under Covid-19 Lockdown, Parry J, Young Z, Bevan S, Veliziotis M, Baruch Y, Beigi M, Bajorek Z, Salter E, Tochia C, , Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), Feb 2021
- Shut Out: How employers and recruiters are overlooking the talents of over 50s workers, Edwards M, Holmes J, Mason B, Bajorek Z , , Centre for Ageing Better, Jan 2021
- Webinar: Obesity Stigma at Work: Improving Inclusion & Productivity, Bajorek Z, Bevan S, Brown D, Black C , , Institute for Employment Studies , Dec 2020
- Obesity stigma at work, Bajorek Z, Bevan S , , Institute for Employment Studies , Nov 2020
- Health and Wellbeing Interventions in Healthcare, Bajorek Z, Holmes J, , Institute for Employment Studies, Oct 2020
- Revamping labour market enforcement in the UK, Willmott B, Suff R, Brown D, Bajorek Z, Hogan C, , CIPD, Oct 2020
- Demonstrating the effectiveness of workplace counselling, Bajorek Z, Bevan S , , Institute for Employment Studies , Jul 2020
- The Journey from Health and Safety to Healthy and Safe , Bajorek Z, Lucy D, Bevan S , , Institute for Employment Studies, Apr 2020
- The Squeezed Middle: Why we should be hugging and not squeezing line managers, Bajorek Z, , Institute for Employment Studies, Feb 2020
- Progression in Employment, Bajorek Z, Lucy D, , Institute for Employment Studies, Feb 2020
- Progression in Employment: Employer initiatives in relation to progression in employment, Takala H, Rickard C, Byford M, Zealley C, Bajorek Z, Hadjivassiliou K, Lucy D, , Institute for Employment Studies, Feb 2020
- Progression in Employment, Bajorek Z, Lucy D, , Institute for Employment Studies, Feb 2020
- The Squeezed Middle: Why HR should be hugging and not squeezing line managers, Bajorek, Z, , Institute for Employment Studies, Jan 2020
- Slides: The importance of line managers for employee wellbeing, Bajorek, Z, , Institute for Employment Studies, Jun 2019
- Obesity and Work, Bajorek Z, Bevan S, , Institute for Employment Studies, May 2019
- Designing and testing a return on investment tool for EAPs, Bevan S, Bajorek Z, Report 515, Institute for Employment Studies, Jan 2019
Articles and chapters
- Wellbeing is crucial for retaining employees, Bajorek Z, Public Finance, October 2024
- How HR can help inform guidance to support employees who have cancer, Bajorek Z, HR Magazine, April 2024
- Employee Assistance Programs: Strengths, Challenges, and Future Roles, Bajorek Z, Kinder A, and Cooper C, Handbook of Occupational Health Psychology, Third Edition (Chapter 24), November 2023
- The impact of temporary staff on permanent staff in accident and emergency departments, Bajorek Z, Guest D, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Emerald Publishing Limited, Vol. 6, No. 1, March 2019
- Workforce health: Why 'good work' trumps fruit and pilates evangelism every time, Bevan S, Bajorek Z, HR Magazine, HR Magazine, October 2018, October 2018
- rEAPing the benefits: Employee assistance programmes: employee wellbeing and financial utility, Bajorek Z, Occupational Health at Work, The At Work Partnership, Vol. 15, No. 3, October 2018
Conference appearances
- Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA) conference, Zofia Bajorek, Announced as a Friend and host of Annual Awards, 14 November 2024
- Mental health at work: Why good evidence, good work and good management matters, Bajorek Z, HR Professional Future of Work Conference (Greece), 03 April 2024
- Panel Discussion: The Link Between Leadership and Its Relationship to Health and Wellbeing at Work, Bajorek Z, Health and wellbeing at work conference 2024, 13 March 2024
- The Right to Disconnect: Rhetoric vs Reality, Bajorek Z, Health and wellbeing at work conference 2024, 13 March 2024
- Caring and Employment - What Can Organisations do to Support Working Carers?, Bajorek Z, Health and wellbeing at work conference 2024, 12 March 2024
- Obesity and Employment - What is The Role of Organisational Interventions for Health and Diet?, Bajorek Z, Health and wellbeing at work conference 2024, 12 March 2023
- ICT's and future of work - how to analyze the current changes in the work environment , Bajorek Z, World Summit on the Information Society, April 2021
- The future of work post Covid, Bajorek Z, Westminster Insights, January 2021
- What we can do to achieve change in equality, diversity and inclusion, Bajorek Z, Citizens Advice Annual Conference, November, 2019
- Mental Health and Wellbeing at Work: The Importance of Good Work, Bajorek Z, Health and Safety at Work: Reducing Workplace Risks and Creating Better, Safer Working Conditions, Government Events, London, July 2019
- Obesity at work: challenging stigma and discrimination , Bajorek Z, Obesity at work: challenging stigma and discrimination, European Association for the study of Obesity (EASO), Annecy, France, July 2019
- The impact of obesity on employment, Bajorek Z, EASO Policy Conference 2019: The Social and Economic Impact of Preventing and Treating Obesity, European Association for the Study of Obesity, Brussels, May 2019
- That HR Podcast #9: That HR Podcast's Festive Bonanza, Willmott B, Bajorek Z, Lovell J, Pointer T, Burt E, Brown L, That HR Podcast, People Management, [Online], December 2018
- Long-term sickness absence: a biopsychosocial survey, Bajorek Z, Ballard J, The At Work Partnership seminar: Managing long-term sickness absence: a biopsychosocial approach, The At Work Partnership, London, December 2018
- Panel discussion: Disruptive technologies and the future of HR, Bajorek Z, Burton R, Barozzi G, Williams C, Future of Work Summit 2018, Symposium, London, October 2018
Projects
- Working With Cancer - employer survey
- BFI Good Work programme
- North Central London Work and Health Strategy
- North Central London Work and Health Strategy
- NIHR - Supporting healthy lifestyles among young adults in the workplace
- Looking After You Too Year 3
- Case studies of systems change across public services
- #LookingAfterYouToo Year 2 Evaluation
- Recording the lived experience of people working with obesity
- Obesity Return to Work Guide
- Obesity Stigma Webinar
- Evaluation of #LookingAfterYourCareer