Zofia Bajorek
BA, MSc, PhD
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.
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
- The Squeezed Middle: Why we should be hugging and not squeezing line managers, Bajorek Z, , 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
- 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
- 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