The workplace of the future

Even people who have not been in the workplace too long, can recognise that in almost all sectors, the workplace has been going through major change during the recent past. Of course, this is not just in Australia it is like an industrial wave that is going through all developed economies.

There are things happening beyond the workplace and inside the workplace that are having profound impacts.

External impacts include: family requirements, government legislation and new industrial policies.

Internal impacts include: new computerised technology, new management and work systems, new skills, greater casualisation and outsourcing.

Clearly, the workplace changes taking place can be positive or negative depending on decisions made by governments, employers, unions, employees, and the broader community.

In the workplace of the future, innovation is not confined to just R&D. It embraces what happens within our workplaces – where we can be more open to change, more focused on customer needs and more knowledge intensive. A modern workplace can be a source of added value, leading to higher levels of performance.

The workforce of the future promises to be very different from that of the past. A generation ago, there were few workers over the age of 65. But in the near future, with baby boomers reaching retirement age in such huge numbers, we will see many more employees remain on the job longer than ever before.

Population demographics are showing clear signs of workforce ageing. This is occurring in parallel with a decline in the numbers of younger workers entering the workforce. These developments are raising a warning flag to governments, employers, and society in general as to a substantial loss of knowledge and experience in the working population. This development is the key issue of age and work. As a consequence, many companies and organisations have realised they need to retain and nurture their older workers. They have also found they can no longer afford the costs resulting from early retirement.

At the same time, as global markets grow more closely integrated, companies are having to reinvent the workplace, which requires more skilled, more reliable, and more flexible employees.

Essentially, workforce and workplace changes are reshaping the form and design of employee benefits. An increasingly diverse range of workers and new types of companies are forcing a redefinition of what it means to be an employee, what it means to offer someone a job, and how to compensate workers. These changes are encouraging people to think about non-traditional benefits, such as child and elder care, flexible medical benefits, employee assistance programs, and investment education.

Robots, buildings made from recycled materials, more daylight, and "windows" that will let workers see live views of famous locations around the world - these are just a few forecasts about the workplace of the future from management specialists around the world.

Not surprisingly, it is computer technology that is the dominant influence on almost every aspect of thinking about the future workplace. From increased use of robotics in manufacturing, to electronic in/out boxes, to flat, window-sized monitors that can switch from a live view of Mt. Fuji to a close-up shot of Times Square at the click of a mouse, computers will dominate almost all facets of the future workplace.

The development of teleconferencing is also considered likely, meaning smaller offices, reduced staffs, and a major increase in employees working at home. The resultant decrease in commuting and business travel may very well translate to an immense reduction in the use of fossil fuels.