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Professor Jo Yarker

Positions held:
  • Professor of Occupational Psychology, 糖心logo入口 Business School
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  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Jo is聽a Registered and Chartered Occupational Psychologist, specialising work, health and well-being.聽She is Professor in Occupational Psychology聽at 糖心logo入口, University of London and Managing Partner of Affinity Health at Work, working in a job-share across both these roles with Dr Rachel Lewis.

    Her work has been funded by private, public and third sector organisations including聽the World Health Organisation, NIHR and the Health and Safety Executive and has informed national guidance on work and health.聽


    Recent collaborative projects聽include:

    * Examining the drivers of retention and absence within the NHS and developing system-level recommendations and interventions to support change.聽

    * Pioneering a whole-system IGLOO approach that recognizes the importance of Individual, Group, Leader and Organisational resources needed for healthy and sustainable work with Professor Neilsen, University of Sheffield and Professor聽Munir, University of Loughborough.

    *Conducting a systematic review of qualitative evidence of the barriers and facilitators to implementation of workplace health interventions for the World Health Organisation.


    * Exploring the link between culture and physical workspaces, particularly in agile workplaces, to understand how our office space impacts the way we work, and contributes to our health and happiness at work in partnership with AECOM and the University of Zurich.


    * Understanding the psychological risks of International Business Travel and how we can prevent and manage these with International SOS.


    * Trialling Flexible Work interventions to understand what works, for whom, and under what circumstances with Lendlease.


    * Developing an evidence-based toolkit to support return to work following a period of absence with the Department of Work and Pensions and the Joint Health Unit.

    Jo is committed to enhancing opportunities for professional development, leading her and Rachel to the design and聽launch the MRes in Professional Practice in Occupational Psychology, and the Professional Doctorate in Occupational Psychology, first-in-kind programmes accredited by the HCPC and BPS respectively. She has supervised 26 professional doctorate students to successful completion and, working with an expert team of practitioner supervisors, supported 65 Practitioner Psychologists to Registered status. The professional doctorate programme leadership has now transitioned to Professors Julie Gore and Alexandra Beauregard (Prof Doc) and Drs Hayley Lewis and Clare Mulligan-Foster. Jo has also supervised聽PhD students to聽completion, all of whom have continued to forge research careers.

    Jo has a fractional post at 糖心logo入口 (.2FTE), during which she supervises professional doctorate students and continues to drive聽research, policy and practice contributions with the aim of聽improving working lives.聽


    Highlights

    • 2020 Winner of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association for Research, for work with Affinity Health at Work and Sheffield University on the IGLOO approach to supporting return to work following mental health sickness absence.


    • 2023 Outstanding contribution to occupational psychology awarded by the British Psychological Society's Division of Occupational Psychology.

    • Development and validation of the Health and Safety Executive Stress Management Competencies for Preventing and Reducing Stress, this work was published and won British Psychological Society Practitioner Book of the Year, 2013.

    • 2020 Division of Occupational Psychology, British Psychological Society award for research for work in collaboration with Affinity Health at Work into understanding the psychological risks of International Business Travel and how we can prevent and manage these with International SOS.

    Web profiles

    Professional memberships

    • Executive Board Member, European Association of Occupational Health Psychology

      Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy

      Chartered Occupational Psychologist, British Psychological Society

      Registered Occupational Psychologist, Health and Care Professions Council

      Member, Society of Occupational Medicine

      Member, Vocational Rehabilitation Association


    ORCID

  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Ranautta, Harki and Beauregard, Alexandra and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2026) . Diversity & Inclusion Research 3 (2), ISSN 2835-236X.
    • Teoh, Kevin and Bullock, O. and Reinke, Marleen and Kinman, Gail and Cordell, N. and Yarker, Jo (2025) . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ISSN 1660-4601. (In Press)
    • Karrlein, H. and Teoh, Kevin and Reinke, Marleen and Kinman, Gail and Cordell, N. and Yarker, Jo (2025) . Merits 5 (4), ISSN 2673-8104.
    • Sayers-Brown, Rob and Beauregard, Alexandra and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2025) . Diversity & Inclusion Research 2 (1), pp. 1-23. ISSN 2835-236X.
    • Warrilow, Eloise and Drury, Lisbeth and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2024) . People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice 7 (1), pp. 1-22. ISSN 2575-9078.
    • Kapoutzis, Nick and Whiley, Lilith and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2024) . Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice 17 (1), pp. 50-76. ISSN 1752-1882.
    • Kapoutzis, Nick and Whiley, Lilith and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2024) . Journal of Work-Applied Management ISSN 2205-2062.
    • Weber, C. and Golding, S. and Yarker, Jo and Teoh, Kevin and Lewis, Rachel and Ratcliffe, E. and Munir, F. and Wheele, T. and Windlinger, L. (2023) . Frontiers in Psychology 14, ISSN 1664-1078.
    • Weber, C. and Krieger, B. and Eunji, H. and Yarker, Jo and McDowall, Almuth (2022) . Applied Psychology pp. 1-53. ISSN 0269-994X.
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Whiley, Lilith (2022) . Journal of Management Education 46 (5), pp. 816-852. ISSN 1052-5629.
    • Weber, C. and Golding, Sarah and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Ratcliffe, E. and Munir, F. and Wheele, T. and Hane, E. and Windlinger, L. (2022) . Frontiers in Psychology ISSN 1664-1078.
    • Blake, H. and Yarker, Jo (2022) . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19 (13), ISSN 1660-4601.
    • Kane, Anna and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2021) . International Coaching Psychology Review 16 (1), ISSN 1750-2764.
    • Kane, Anna and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2021) . International Coaching Psychology Review 16 (1), ISSN 1750-2764.
    • Munir, F. and Yarker, Jo and Duckworth, J. and Chen, Y. and Brinkley, A. and Varela-Mato, V. and Lewis, Rachel and Clemes, S. (2021) . Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation 70 (4), pp. 1229-1241. ISSN 1051-9815.
    • Nielsen, K. and Yarker, Jo (2020) . International Journal of Rehabilitation research. 43 (2), pp. 154-158. ISSN 0342-5282.
    • Weber, Clara and Ratcliffe, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Munir, Fehmidah (2020) . Health Psychology Update 29, pp. 55-56. ISSN 0954-2027.
    • Russell, E. and Lloyd-Houldey, A. and Memon, A. and Yarker, Jo (2019) . Journal of Technology in Human Services 36 (4), pp. 222-240. ISSN 1522-8835.
    • Willis, D. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2019) . BMJ Leader 3 (3), pp. 81-91. ISSN 2398-631X.
    • Barnes, Claire and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Whiley, Lilith (2019) . Cogent Psychology 6 (1), pp. 1691848. ISSN 2331-1908.
    • Nielsen, K. and Yarker, Jo and Munir, F. and Bultmann, U. (2018) . Work and Stress 32 (4), pp. 400-419. ISSN 0267-8373.
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2018) . European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 28 (1), pp. 11-29. ISSN 1359-432X.
    • Hill, E.L. and Jones, A.P. and Lang, J. and Yarker, Jo and Patterson, A. (2015) . International Journal of Developmental Disabilities 61 (3), pp. 166-176. ISSN 2047-3869.
    • Kennedy, F. and Hicks, B. and Yarker, Jo (2014) . European Journal of Cancer Care 23 (4), pp. 462-471. ISSN 0961-5423.
    • Bains, M. and Munir, F. and Yarker, Jo and Bowley, D. and Thomas, A. and Armitage, N. and Steward, W. (2012) . European Journal of Cancer Care 21 (5), pp. 634-641. ISSN 0961-5423.
    • Bains, M. and Yarker, Jo and Amir, Z. and Wynn, P. and Munir, F. (2012) . Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 22 (1), pp. 71-77. ISSN 1053-0487.
    • Munir, F. and Yarker, Jo and Hicks, B. and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2012) . Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 22 (2), pp. 196-208. ISSN 1053-0487.
    • Bains, M. and Munir, F. and Yarker, Jo and Steward, W. and Thomas, A. (2011) . Cancer Nursing 34 (6), pp. E1-E12. ISSN 0162-220X.
    • Munir, F. and Kalawsky, K. and Lawrence, C. and Yarker, Jo and Haslam, C. and Ahmed, S. (2011) . Cancer Nursing 34 (5), pp. 385-392. ISSN 0162-220X.
    • Yarker, Jo and Munir, F. and Bains, M. and Kalawsky, K. and Haslam, C. (2010) . Psycho-Oncology 19 (10), pp. 1078-1085. ISSN 1057-9249.
    • Munir, F. and Burrows, J. and Yarker, Jo and Kalawsky, K. and Bains, M. (2010) . Journal of Clinical Nursing 19 (9-10), pp. 1362-1370. ISSN 0962-1067.
    • Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Flaxman, P. and Munir, F. (2010) . International Journal of Nursing Studies 47 (3), pp. 307-313. ISSN 0020-7489.
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2009) . General Practice Update 2 (7/8), pp. 13-17. ISSN 1753-9773.
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2008) . Strategic HR Review 7 (2), pp. 11-16. ISSN 1475-4398.

    Book

    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2011) . Oxford, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 9780470665534.

    Book section

    • Yarker, Jo and Morgan, A. (2025) . In: Cooper, A. and Neil, A. (eds.) Under Investigation: Transforming Disciplinary Practice in the Workplace. Bristol, UK: Bristol University Press. ISBN 9781529245097.
    • Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Lewis, Rachel (2022) . In: Brough, P. and Gardiner, E. and Daniels, K. (eds.) Handbook on Management and Employment Practices. Handbook Series in Occupational Health Science. Springer. ISBN 9783030249366.
    • Yarker, Jo and Wolfram, H.-J. and Junker, N. (2020) . In: Karanika-Murray, M. and Cooper, C. (eds.) Navigating the Return-to-Work Experience for New Parents: Maintaining Work-Family Well-Being. London, UK: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9780429274336.
    • Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2012) . In: Biron, C. and Karanika-Murray, M. and Cooper, C.L. (eds.) Improving organizational interventions for stress and well-being: addressing process and context. London, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781848720565.
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2008) . In: Houdmont, J. and Leka, S. (eds.) European Perspectives on Research, Education and Practice. Occupational Health Psychology. Nottingham, UK: Nottingham University Press. pp. 229-256. ISBN 9781904761822.

    Conference item

    • Golding, S.E. and Weber, C. and Ratcliffe, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Munir, F. (2021) . ICEP 2021: International Conference on Environmental Psychology, 2021, Siracusa, Italy
    • Memon, A. and Yarker, Jo and Russell, E. and Lloyd-Houldey, A. (2019) . 19th Congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP) : Working for the greater good, 2019, Turin, Italy
    • Russell, E. and Yarker, Jo and Memon, A. and Lloyd-Houldey, A. (2019) . 19th Congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP) : Working for the greater good, 2019, Turin, Italy
    • Yarker, Jo and Munir, F. and Lewis, Rachel and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2018) . 9th Annual Faculty of Business Research Conference: Contemporary Issues in Business, 2018, Kingston upon Thames, UK
    • Russell, E. and Yarker, Jo and Waugh, L. and Fullman, M. and Memon, A. (2017) . 18th Congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP): Enabling Change through Work and Organizational Psychology, 2017, Dublin, Ireland
    • Yarker, Jo and Russell, E. (2017) . 18th Congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP): Enabling Change through Work and Organizational Psychology, 2017, Dublin, Ireland
    • Lewis, Rachel and Stride, C. and Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2010) . British Psychology Society Annual Occupational Psychology Conference: Science and practice: developing our profession for the future, 2010, Brighton, UK
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2010) . 9th Conference of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology, 2010, Rome, Italy
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2010) . British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Occupational Psychology (DOP) Annual Conference 2010: Science and Practice: Developing our Profession for the Future, 2010, Brighton, UK
    • Lewis, Rachel and Stride, C. and Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2010) . Institute of Work Psychology (IWP) 2nd Biennial Conference of Work, Well-being, and Performance., 2010, Sheffield, UK
    • Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2009) . British Psychological Society Annual Occupational Psychology Conference, 2009, Blackpool, UK
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2009) . British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Occupational Psychology (DOP) Annual Conference 2009, 2009, Blackpool, UK
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel (2008) . 8th Conference of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology, 2008, Valencia, Spain
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Flaxman, P. (2007) . British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Occupational Psychology Annual Conference 2007, 2007, Bristol, UK
    • Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Flaxman, P. (2007) . British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Occupational Psychology (DOP) Annual Conference 2007, 2007, Bristol, UK
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Flaxman, P. (2007) . 13th European Congress on Work and Organizational Psychology: Sustainable Work: Promoting Human and Organizational Vitality, 2007, Stockholm, Sweden
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Kane, A. and Willis, D. and Redman, R. . Division of Occupational Psychology Annual Conference 2019, Chester, UK
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel . Division of Occupational Psychology Conference 2018,
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Godfree, K. . Division of Occupational Psychology Conference 2018,
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Kane, A. and Willis, D. and Barnes, C. and Redman, R. . Division of Occupational Psychology Conference 2018,
    • Yarker, Jo and Munir, F. and Lewis, Rachel and Donaldson-Feilder, E. . Division of Occupational Psychology Conference 2018,

    Monograph

    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Sinclair, Alice and Munir, F. (2022) . World Health Organisation. ISBN 9789240053052.
    • Lewis, Rachel and Ferragamo, C. and Yarker, Jo (2021) . International SOS Foundation.
    • Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Sinclair, Alice (2021) . Rail Safety and Standards Board.
    • Pugh, C. and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo and Green, M. (2021) . London, UK: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
    • Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2021) . Business in the Community.
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and McDowall, Almuth and Teoh, Kevin (2020) . London, UK: 糖心logo入口, University of London.
    • McDowall, Almuth and Teoh, Kevin and Stringer, Mark and Chatrakul Na Ayudhya, Uracha and Beauregard, T. Alexandra and MacKenzie Davey, Kate and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2020) . London, UK: Department of Organizational Psychology.
    • Lewis, Rachel and Duckworth, J. and Yarker, Jo (2020) . NHS.
    • Yarker, Jo and Sinclair, Alice and Lewis, Rachel (2020) . ACAS.
    • McCartney, C. and Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Peters, R. and Godfree, K. and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2019) . Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
    • Lewis, Rachel and Ferragamo, C. and Yarker, Jo and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2018) . International SOS Foundation.
    • Yarker, Jo and Peters, R. and Lewis, Rachel and Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Blackburn, R. and Munir, F. (2018) . Department of Work and Pensions.
    • Russell, E. and Lloyd-Houldey, A. and Memon, A. and Yarker, Jo (2017) . Kingston upon Thames, U.K.: Wellbeing at Work (WWK) Research Group, Kingston Business School, Kingston University.
    • Russell, Emma and Yarker, Jo and Abrams, R. (2016) . Kingston upon Thames, U.K.: Wellbeing at Work Research Group.
    • Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Lewis, Rachel and Yarker, Jo (2009) . London, U.K.: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2008) . Research Report. (RR633), Bootle, U.K.: Health and Safety Executive.
    • Yarker, Jo and Lewis, Rachel and Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Flaxman, P. (2007) . Research Report. (RR553), Bootle, U.K.: Health and Safety Executive.