June 18, 2021
Cities could be more important post-pandemic, not less, suggests report
Paradoxically, more in-person work environments and the concentration of jobs in cities could be a medium- to long-term impact of the pandemic’s shift to remote working, suggests Citi GPS Technology at Work: The Coming of the Post-Production Society, a report produced by Citi and the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford. The report cites the automation of manufacturing and clerical tasks alongside the potential for professional services jobs that can be done remotely to be done cheaper overseas as the start of a foundational shift in developed economies. The future of work in these countries, it suggests, could be based largely on innovation, exploration and creative thinking which require face-to-face interaction and geographic proximity. More →
June 16, 2021
We need to rethink the role of technology in corporate wellbeing
by Brendan Street • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing
Employers nationwide are taking steps to improve employee wellbeing, reduce stress and improve mental health. For many, they are well-meaning, for example, banning work emails during certain hours of the day, encouraging employees to ‘switch off’. However, the risk with blanket policies like these is that they don’t work for everyone. A recent study from the University of Sussex even found banning out-of-hours emails can have a detrimental impact on employee wellbeing – restricting opportunities for truly flexible working and taking away a sense of control and autonomy. More →