Professor Victoria Wass

Emerita Professor

Cardiff Business School

: wass@cardiff.ac.uk

: Media commentator

My research interests span labour economics, sociology of work and HRM and include studies of disability at work, formal and informal care and gender pay gaps.

Engagement and impact on disability and work include expert advice to parliamentary committees and in loss of earnings claims (personal injury, clinical negligence and employment discrimination). I sit on the National Statistics Harmonisation Group Health Disability and Carers Panel and I am a member of the Ogden Working Party.

My research on valuing the impact of disability in personal injury claims formed an Impact Case Study in REF 2014. Ensuring fair compensation for accident victims in court http://impact.ref.ac.uk/CaseStudies/Results.aspx?HEI=188

Committed to providing evidence for policy and practice, my research is available through Disability@Work (www.DisabilityatWork.co.uk). The website hosts Disability Talking a short film illustrating the disability employment gap with individual workplace stories.

I have given evidence as an expert witness in the following trials on the indexation of care costs:

Thompstone v Tameside & Glossop Acute Health Services Trust [2006] EWHC 2904
Corbett v South Yorkshire SHA 28th March 2007
Sarwar v Ali and MIB [2007] EWHC 1255
RH v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust [2007] EWHC 1441

Judges have said the following:

The evidence of Dr Wass went in to some detail. She is a labour economist from Cardiff Business School and was in my judgment a most compelling witness. She avoided partisan selection of material and gave straight answers even when they did not suit the claimant’s case. MacKay J in RH v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust 2007 para 35
Much of the evidence about the various measures came from Dr Wass. Her evidence was well researched and her answers in oral evidence careful and considered. She was frank and open about the drawbacks of the various measures under discussion. I found her an impressive witness. Swift J Thompstone v Tameside & Glossop Acute Health Services Trust 2006 para 77

Qualifications

PhD (Econ) 1992 University of Wales, Cardiff
MSc (Econ) 1985 London School of Economics
BSc (Econ) 1984 University of Wales, Cardiff

Professional memberships

CIPD Academic Fellow
British Academy of Management
British Sociological Association

2023

Jones, M. and Wass, V. 2023. Organisational disability measurement and reporting in the UK. In: Beatty, J. E., Hennekam, S. and Kulkarni, M. eds. De Gruyter Handbook of Disability and Management. De Gruyter, pp. 63-82., (10.1515/9783110743647)

2021

Jones, M., Hoque, K., Wass, V. and Bacon, N. 2021. Inequality and the economic cycle: disabled employees' experience of work during the Great Recession in Britain. British Journal of Industrial Relations 59(3), pp. 788-815. (10.1111/bjir.12577)

2018

Jones, M., Makepeace, G. and Wass, V. 2018. The UK gender pay gap 1997-2015: what is the role of the public sector?. Industrial Relations Journal 57(2), pp. 296-319. (10.1111/irel.12208)
Hoque, K., Wass, V., Bacon, N. and Jones, M. 2018. Are high‐performance work practices (HPWPs) enabling or disabling? Exploring the relationship between selected HPWPs and work‐related disability disadvantage. Human Resource Management 57(2), pp. 499-513. (10.1002/hrm.21881)
Wass, V. 2018. Reduction factor adjustment in Swift v Carpenter. Journal of Personal Injury Law 4, pp. 279-283.
Wass, V. and Gunn, I. 2018. Full restitution and the risk-free discount rate. Journal of Personal Injury Law 4, pp. 248-262.

2016

Fevre, R. W., Foster, D. J., Jones, M. and Wass, V. J. 2016. Closing disability gaps at work: deficits in evidence and variations in experience. Project Report. Cardiff University.
Wass, V. and Turnbull, P. 2016. When the law breaks the law: bargaining or litigation over Police Inspectors' working time?. Presented at: Fairness at Work Research Centre Seminar, Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK, 17 February 2016.

2015

Baumberg, B., Jones, M. and Wass, V. 2015. Disability prevalence and disability-related employment gaps in the UK 1998–2012: Different trends in different surveys?. Social Science and Medicine 141, pp. 72-81. (10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.07.012)
Blackaby, D., Felstead, A., Jones, M., Makepeace, G., Murphy, P. and Wass, V. J. 2015. Is the public sector pay advantage explained by differences in work quality?. In: Felstead, A., Gallie, D. and Green, F. eds. Unequal Britain at Work: The Evolution and Distribution of Intrinsic Job Quality. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Turnbull, P. J. and Wass, V. 2015. Normalizing extreme work in the Police Service? Austerity and the inspecting ranks. Organization 22(4), pp. 512-529. (10.1177/1350508415572513)
Cropper, R., Gunn, I. and Wass, V. 2015. Statistics for personal injury lawyers - which index is most accurate?. LexisNexis.
Wass, V. 2015. Billett v Ministry of Defence: a second bite. Journal of Personal Injury Law 4, pp. 243-251.
Wass, V. 2015. Billett v MOD and the meaning of disability in the Ogden Tables. Journal of Personal Injury Law 2015(1), pp. 37-41.

2014

Wass, V. and Turnbull, P. 2014. Austerity and well-being in policing: a case study of a local wellness programme. Presented at: BAM/ESRC Symposium on HRM and Wellbeing, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK, 8 May 2014.
Blackaby, D., Felstead, A., Jones, M., Makepeace, G. H., Murphy, P. and Wass, V. J. 2014. Better quality work and better pay in the public sector?. Working paper. Cardiff: Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods. Available at: http://www.wiserd.ac.uk/files/1213/9291/0484/Blackaby_et_al_feb_2014.pdf

2013

Jones, M. and Wass, V. J. 2013. Understanding changing disability-related employment gaps in Britain 1998-2011. Work Employment and Society 27(6), pp. 982-1003. (10.1177/0950017013475372)
Foster, D. J. and Wass, V. J. 2013. Disability in the labour market: an exploration of concepts of the ideal worker and organisational fit that disadvantage employees with impairments. Sociology 47(4), pp. 705-721. (10.1177/0038038512454245)
Wass, V. and Turnbull, P. 2013. Long hours of work in the UK police service: causes, consequences and alternatives. Presented at: Critical Management Studies Conference, Manchester University, UK, 10-12 July 2013.
Wass, V. J. and Latimer-Sayer, W. 2013. Ask the Expert: William Latimer-Sayer asks Victoria Wass some questions about the practical application of the Ogden Reduction Factors. Journal of Personal Injury Law(1), pp. 36-45.

2012

Jones, M. and Wass, V. 2012. Well-being and disability – new evidence of inequality. Presented at: 'Fairness at Work in Challenging Times' - FairWRC Conference, Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK, 6-7 September 2012.
Turnbull, P. J. and Wass, V. J. 2012. Time for justice: Long working hours and the well-being of police inspectors. Project Report. [Online]. Inspectors Central Committee. Available at: http://www.polfed.org/documents/Time-for-Justice-report-low-res.pdf
Wass, V. J. and Latimer-Sayer, W. 2012. Ogden reduction factor adjustments since Conner v Bradman: Part 1. Journal of Personal Injury Law(4), pp. 219-230.

2011

Wass, V. J. and Jones, M. K. 2011. Understanding the changing employment effects of disability 1998-2011. Presented at: Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey user meeting, London, UK, 6 December 2011.
Jones, M. and Wass, V. J. 2011. Understanding changing disability-related employment gaps in Britain 1998-2010. Presented at: Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey User Meeting, Royal Statistical Society, London, 6 December 2011.
Makepeace, G. H. and Wass, V. J. 2011. Earnings in Wales. In: Davies, O. R. et al. eds. An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in Wales. WISERD Research Reports Series Equality and Human Rights Commission, pp. 73-102.
Wass, V. J. 2011. Measuring and using the life time employment effects of disability. Presented at: National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) seminar/workshop, London, UK, 8 February 2011.
Foster, D. J. and Wass, V. J. 2011. The ideal worker and capitalist forms of production: Can employees with impairments ever achive organisational fit?. Presented at: The Centre for Global Labour Research: Capitalism and work, Cardiff, UK, 12th January 2011.
Davies, O. R. et al. 2011. An anatomy of inequality in Wales. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales. Available at: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/anatomy-economic-inequality-wales

2010

Butt, Z., Verrall, R., Haberman, S. and Wass, V. J. 2010. Work life expectancy: Calculating compensation for loss of future earnings. Measurement and Control -London- Institute of Measurement and Control- 43(5), pp. 146-151. (10.1177/002029401004300504)
Foster, D. J. and Wass, V. J. 2010. Disability in the labour market: An exploration of concepts of the ‘ideal worker’ and organisational ‘fit’ that disadvantage employees with impairments. Presented at: Ideational Research in Employment Relations : Annual Conference of the Employment Research Unit, Cardiff, UK, September 2010.
Turnbull, P. J. and Wass, V. J. 2010. Earnings inequality and employment. In: Blyton, P. R., Heery, E. J. and Turnbull, P. J. eds. Reassessing the Employment Relationship. Management, Work and Organisations Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 273-298.

2009

Wass, V. J. and McNabb, R. 2009. Accounting for the effects of disablement on future employment in Britain. In: Ward, J. O. and Thornton, R. J. eds. Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Damages Calculations: Transatlantic Dialogue. Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis Vol. 91. Bingley: Emerald, pp. 73-102.
Stewart, P., Murphy, K., Danford, A., Richardson, T., Richardson, M. and Wass, V. J. 2009. We sell our time no more: workers’ struggles against lean production in the British car industry. London: Pluto Press.
Butt, Z., Haberman, S., Verrall, R. and Wass, V. J. 2009. Estimating and using work life expectancy in the United Kingdom. In: Ward, J. O. and Thornton, R. J. eds. Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Damages Calculations: Transatlantic Dialogue. Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis Vol. 91. Bingley: Emerald, pp. 103-134.
Wass, V. J. 2009. The effects of disability on employment: measuring the effects over the course of a working life time. Presented at: British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA) Annual Conference, Cardiff, 2009.
Cropper, R. and Wass, V. J. 2009. Periodical payments and the transfer of risk. In: Ward, J. O. and Thornton, R. J. eds. Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Damages Calculations: Transatlantic Dialogue. Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis Vol. 91. Bingley: Emerald, pp. 159-192.

2008

Wass, V. J. 2008. Discretion in the application of the new Ogden Six multipliers: The case of Conner v Bradman. Journal of Personal Injury Law(2), pp. 154-163.
Butt, Z., Haberman, S., Verrall, R. and Wass, V. J. 2008. Calculating compensation for loss of future earnings: estimating and using work life expectancy. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (Statistics in Society) 171(4), pp. 763-805. (10.1111/j.1467-985X.2007.00539.x)
Wass, V. J. 2008. The pattern and stability of occupational pay in the UK 1975-2006. Presented at: British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA) Annual Conference, University of West of England, Bristol, 26th - 27th June 2008.

2007

Wass, V. J. and Turnbull, P. J. 2007. Defending Dock Workers: Globalization and Labor Relations in the World's Ports. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy & Society 46(3), pp. 582-612. (10.1111/j.1468-232X.2007.00481.x)
Butt, Z., Haberman, S., Verrall, R. and Wass, V. J. 2007. Calculating compensation for loss of future earnings: estimating and using work life expectancy. Presented at: Allied Social Science Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, USA, 4-7 January 2007.
Wass, V. J. 2007. The indexation of future care costs: some economics and some evidence. The Journal of Personal Injury Law 3, pp. 247-247.

2006

Wass, V. J. and McNabb, R. 2006. Pay, Promotion and Parenthood amongst Women Solicitors. Work Employment & Society 20(2), pp. 289-308. (10.1177/0950017006064115)
Wass, V. J. and McNabb, R. 2006. Male-female earnings differentials among lawyers in Britain: a legacy of the law or a current practice?. Labour Economics 13(2), pp. 219-235. (10.1016/j.labeco.2004.10.001)
Lewis, R. K., Morris, A. and Oliphant, K. A. 2006. Tort personal injury claim statistics. Journal of Personal Injury Law, pp. 87-103.

2005

Wass, V. J. and McNabb, R. 2005. Estimating the impact of disability on life-time employment rates. Ogden Working Party.
Wass, V. J., Codd, G. and McNabb, R. 2005. Loss of earnings following personal injury: Do the courts adequately compensate injured claimants?. Presented at: WG Hart Legal Workshop - Understanding law and legal process: The approaches, value and outcomes of empirical research, London, UK, 28-30 June 2005.

2004

Turnbull, P. J. and Wass, V. J. 2004. Job cuts and redundancy: Managing the workforce complement. Presented at: British Universities Industrial Relations Association Annual Conference, Nottingham, UK, 1-3 July 2004.

2003

Lewis, R. K., McNabb, R., Robinson, H. and Wass, V. J. 2003. Loss of earnings following personal injury: do the courts adequately compensate injured parties?. The Economic Journal 113(491), pp. F568-F584. (10.1046/j.0013-0133.2003.00169.x)

2002

Lewis, R. K., McNabb, R., Robinson, H. and Wass, V. J. 2002. Court Awards of Damages for Loss of future Earnings: An Empirical Study and an Alternative Method of Calculation. Journal of Law and Society 29(3), pp. 406-435. (10.1111/1467-6478.00226)
Turnbull, P. J. and Wass, V. J. 2002. Landlords, leaseholders and labour: Globalisation and industrial relations in the world's ports. Presented at: BUIRA Annual Conference, Stirling, UK, 5-7 July 2002.
McNabb, R., Wass, V. J. and Lewis, R. 2002. Methods of Calculating Damages for Loss of Earnings. Journal of Personal Injury Law, pp. 151-164.
Lewis, R., McNabb, R., Robinson, H. and Wass, V. J. 2002. A comparison of two alternative methods for determining loss of future earnings in personal injury cases. Presented at: Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2002, Warwick, UK, 25-27 March 2002.
Lewis, R. K., McNabb, R. and Wass, V. J. 2002. Damages for loss of future earnings. Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Newsletter, pp. 17-18.
Lewis, R. K., McNabb, R. and Wass, V. J. 2002. A new way to assess damages for loss of future earnings. New Law Journal 152, pp. 1042-1044.

2001

Wass, V. J. 2001. Redundancy. In: Warner, M. ed. International Encyclopedia of Business and Management. London: Cengage Learning EMEA, pp. 5568-5578.

Grants

Wass V and Jones M (2016) “Disability@Work” and “Disability Talking”, a short film about disability disadvantage at work, Public Value Innovation Project, Cardiff Business School
Fevre R, Foster D, Jones M and Wass V. (2016) “Disabled Employment Evidence-based Partnerships (DEEPEN)”. Cardiff University/ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.
Wass V (2015) “Austerity, overworking and under-recording of Inspectors’ working time: Follow-on evidence from 12 Forces”. Funded by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) and the Scottish Police Federation.
Wass V (2015) “Rebalancing long working hours in the Police Service: creating impact through Evidence-based Representation”. Cardiff University/ ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.
Wass V and Z Butt “Earnings estimations for construction workers 1970-2014 for the Construction Industry Vetting Information Group Litigation (HQ12X01115)”. Funded by construction unions UCATT, UNITE and GMB through Claimants’ Solicitors Steering Group (CSSG).
Blackaby D, Felstead A, Jones, M. Makepeace, G, Murphy P (PI) and V Wass (2013) "The Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Inequality and Work Quality" Estimating public private sector differentials using an analysis of secondary data. ESRC Research Award for 18 months starting November 2012. ES/K003283/1
Turnbull T and V Wass (PI) (2013) "Working Time and Wellbeing in the Police Service: Practical Steps to Monitor, Manage and Balance the Working Hours of the Inspecting Ranks" ESRC Knowledge Exchange for 12 months starting February 2013. ES/K005618/1
Davies, R. and V. Wass 2010-11 "An anatomy of economic inequality in Wales", Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Turnbull, P. and V. Wass 1992-1993 "Redundancy and re-employment in the docks", ESRC Research Award No. R000233784.
McNabb, R., V. Wass and R. Lewis 1998-1999 "A comparison of alternative methods for assessing the value of loss of earnings following personal injury" ESRC Research Award No. R000237393.
Wass, V. 2007-2008 "The pattern and stability of occupational pay 1979-2007" Leverhulme Research Fellowship Research Award No. 0268.

Current Projects

Disability at work based on analyses of work place Employment Relations Survey 2011
Working time and wellbeing for Police Inspectors

Past projects

Areas of expertise

External profiles

Personal website