Sean O’Brady is an assistant professor at the DeGroote School of Business. He is also a researcher at Cornell University's Ithaca Co-Lab and a co-researcher with the Inter-University Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT). Sean studies precarity, work and technology, labour unions, inequality, and managerial control. This research often examines how capitalism, power, and employment institutions impact work outcomes across and within countries. He is currently investigating how artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies are impacting service work (e.g. call centers, insurance) in Canada and internationally. Sean is also involved in a project examining employer attitudes and responses to minimum wage increases. His research has received awards from the Labor and Employment Relations Association, Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, Canadian Industrial Relations Association, and the Confédération des syndicats nationaux. He has published articles in Industrial Relations (Berkeley), the British Journal of Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management Journal, the European Journal of Industrial Relations, and elsewhere. This research has been featured in Forbes, the Guardian, BNN Bloomberg (‘Taking Stock’), CBC, the Globe and Mail, the Hamilton Spectator, the Toronto Star, Canadian HR Reporter, and the Ithaca Voice. It has also has been cited by the White House, World Bank, ILO, the European Parliament, and various other policy actors. Prior to his appointment at McMaster University, Sean completed postdoctoral research at Cornell University, and a PhD from Université de Montréal.
