The Future of Work - News Report

THE BURNET TIMES - December 14 2020
The Future of Work - What will it look like after the Pandemic?
This is comfortable_chemistry and in this post I will be talking about predictions for the future of work.
There are three main predictions: remote working, automation and the gig economy. Remote work is a working style that allows employees to work outside of a traditional office environment, which the pandemic has caused many to do so. Automation is the idea machines will control work environments in the future; there has been speculation on if robots will take over whole industries, such as jobs that heavily rely on technology.
However I will be focusing on changes for the gig economy, because it's a fast growing sector with 1 in 10 adults now employed in it in Britain - which around 5 million people! The gig economy is differentiated by freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. Instead of a regular wage, workers get paid for the "gigs" they do, such as a food delivery or a car journey.
Problems, Soultions & Opportunities in the Future
The way companies treat workers may become a problem in the future for the gig economy. The more workers joining the industry, the more "workers are denied their rights and treated like disposable labour", according to Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress. Therefore, the increase in workers in this sector increases the possibility of the workers' violation of rights. This suggests it will be good for companies as they will earn more, but bad for the employees because it will take a toll on their mental and physical health.
A solution is more people are fighting against exploitative labour practices found in gig economy professions. In August, Deliveroo workers demanded better pay and conditions from their employer. The public pressure to stop companies like Deliveroo from treating their workers unfairly has played a vital role in ensuring their voices will be heard.
An opportunity for the gig economy is that it will create more jobs for people. It's also expected that most will have had a gig economy job as another way to make money. Up to one in seven working-age adults – about 7.5 million people – have worked via a gig economy platform at some point, according to The Guardian. For many, the gig economy will be a second and reliable job resource.
Where does the Pandemic Come into Play?
Some people think the pandemic has been a turning point for work because it has made us find alternatives and improvise to keep everyone safe. We have all had to go through changes, this may be our work environments or our work hours. For example, more than half of people living in London (57.2%) did some work at home. Of those who did some work from home, around one-third worked fewer hours than usual, and another one-third worked more hours than usual. Overall, it's been a turning point as our lifestyles have been altered and we are getting used to the "new normal".
The pandemic affected the gig economy more negatively because it has caused disruption. As workers in this sector have no job security, when demand for gigs falls during a crisis, their income falls along with it. Before the current crisis, the gig economy was growing overall (University of Hertfordshire, 2019). But during the first lockdown around March, demand for digital gig economy work, such as software development or web design, fell sharply in March. It has been fluctuating ever since. This has made workers have unsteady income and overall has made the gig economy slow down.
Workers in the gig economy are 'independent contractors', so they have no right to redundancy payments, to receive the national minimum wage, or to be paid holiday or sickness pay. As they have played an important role in helping people in the pandemic (eg. delivering food and providing services), some may say they should be paid proper wages, and not just by how much gigs they do. I think this should be the case because they have persevered even when their industry has fallen during the pandemic and it would reward them for the hard work they've done for us.
Skills in the Workplace
Listening is an important skill in the workplace because you have to be able to take constructive criticism and advice. It allows us to demonstrate that we are paying attention to the thought of others. It's important in the workplace to ensure everyone is respected too. Wouldn't you feel unmotivated if no one listened to you?
Speaking is also important because you have to participate your ideas especially in teams. This will mean you will form connections and influence people by your opinions. You have to be able to convey your feelings properly so other people have a clear depiction of your visions for your work.
Problem solving is important because it gives us control in times where we may be struggling. By learning and going through problems, we can find the solution and gain experience in case something goes wrong in the future. For example, the pandemic has made us think of ways to carry on in society, helping us get back to normal.
Creativity is important as you can see things from different perspectives. The more creative someone is, it allows them to adapt to different situations and makes them more open minded. Without creativity, the world would be a boring place because it drives the passion for what we do.
All of these skills are important in the workplace because they all intertwine with one another. Listening and speaking are connected because its important to take turns so everyone is included. Creativity and problem solving are related because you can think of various ways to find the solution to an issue. A good worker will have all these skills and it will make them well rounded.
Thank you for reading,
comfortable_chemistry
Comments (27)
15 Dec 2020
This is an excellent Final Piece. You have shown great open-mindedness and creativity by researching further and explaining exactly how that research impacts the future of our workplaces. Well done!
dependable_artist | Whyteleafe School B
Olivia @ the BNC's comment
16 Dec 2020
thanks
strong_dragonfruit | Whyteleafe School B
Olivia @ the BNC's comment
16 Dec 2020
I really agree
Can you give a reason why?
fearless_speech | Whyteleafe School B
Olivia @ the BNC's comment
16 Dec 2020
i agree
Can you say why?
15 Dec 2020
As you talked about reliable jobs what jobs do you feel were most stable and what jobs do you think had a very unstable status during the pandemic?
fearless_speech | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
this is very amusing and i really want to hear more about this
magical_elderberry | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
this was great artical to read and i hope you make more of these .
fearless_speech | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
this could be true but it might also not be but i belive that this is the closest that it could get to being true and i couldnt agree more
fun_koala | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
I would like to read more about this amazing speech and and this might look like this after the pandemic.
jazzed_photograph | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
this is a great text but in the first paragraph i dont think we should rely on technology since we should work our selves. If you want to work with another person but not a robot since as they said robots could take over
thankful_language | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
i like this piece because it shows the impact of the pandemic and people at delivaroo
committed_truth | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
There's loads of amazing description, lots of great facts.Keep up the good work, you taught me a lot of things. :) <3
Aww thank you so much for your kind words :) I'm glad the post taught you something!
comfortable_chemistry
proactive_ibex | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
This is a phenomenal piece of writing and agree strongly with all the points you made . It's really made me think about the future. This is an extremely creative text!!! :)
happy_duck | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
ye its exxelent
thankful_language | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
the only thing i dont like about it,is how it says that robots will take over. idon't like that becuse
opinionated_durian | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
In the first paragraph, i think robots should take over some jobs but not all jobs because we still need to make money ourselves eg: in jobs like Engineering cars and buses robots should take over that because it makes it a lot quicker but obviously with human guidance and supervision but with driving the cars and buses should still be kept to be done by humans.
congenial_wolf | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
wow, that's really interesting!
strong_dragonfruit | Whyteleafe School B
congenial_wolf's comment
17 Dec 2020
Isn’t it weird that everybody who has commented is from the same class because our teacher asked us to comment on this post as she liked it.
We are glad your teacher is enjoying reading the posts on the BNC too!
thankful_language | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
the only thing i dont like about this piece isi how it says that robots will take over,which is bad because this will leave people jobless and with out any money comein in.Also work is a place to sotilize and with out it peoples metal heath would be bad
opinionated_durian | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
With my other comment i also think driving should be done by robots but mainly humans so the can make money
positive_cookie | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
I like this piece because it shows how the pandemic has changed everything
incredible_octopus | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
its also good for people to listen to what we say because it can encourage someone just by that one word
grateful_maths | Whyteleafe School B
16 Dec 2020
This article was very interesting as it's telling you that it is important to speak out to people and to tell everyone your opinion.
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