The Future of Work: 2023 and Beyond

This year was devastating for those dealing with layoffs and job loss. There are people in your circles who had their worlds turned upside down this year due to unexpected events that were out of their control. And they are still healing and trying to move forward into the new year with a tired sense of optimism perhaps. That's as REAL as it gets. I tend to be very Pollyanna and optimistic with my outlook, but this year was hard for adults and their kids too in many ways.

As we look forward to 2023, here is what I can see that will set the tone for how the work world still needs to change after all we have learned over the past 2+ years of adapting how we work:

1. Childcare is not a women's issue, it's a workforce issue. And it's a workforce issue steeped in sexism. From the women who want to be in the workforce (and I am talking full and part time) as they raise their children to the majority of early childhood educators being women, we can't ignore that these converge into a situation where what is needed and what is being offered don't necessarily meet. Canada's commitment to $10/day childcare is in motion but it's up to provinces to get it right. Can they? [SOURCE https://irpp.org/research-studies/early-learning-and-child-care-in-canada ]

2. The workplace and the requirement to make people work on-site when work can be done remotely is ableist. There is no other way to say it. It is time to re-think how we will accommodate everyone who wants to participate in the workforce. Remote work is here to stay and it is incumbent on companies touting their DEI programs to look at how well they are attracting and retaining talent who identify as living with a disability to their ranks. [SOURCE: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/common-ada-disability-accommodations.aspx ]

3. People no longer want to live to work. The four-day workweek is gaining more traction and as younger talent enters the workforce and start their own businesses they will change (upend?) the old standards that cling to "this is how we've always done it." Not only is the reduced workweek proved to be beneficial and productive, but we’re also seeing people create strict boundaries around how they want to be in touch with work when off the clock. No more emails after 8 p.m., deleting team chat apps from phones or silencing notifications, and setting AWAY statuses are becoming the norm. It’s even becoming the law in some places. [SOURCE: https://www.blogto.com/city/2022/06/right-ignore-work-emails-off-hours-ontario ]

?4. Canadian youth are finding mental health services increasingly difficult to access. GenZ and GenAlpha are already experiencing increased bouts of anxiety and depression and then there’s the inevitable disruption their lives had due to the pandemic. What have we taught our children about work? What will this generation of kids living through their parents and caregivers being laid off learn about how people are valued in the workplace? And accessing mental health resources has been a long and drawn-out process for many parents with no relief in sight. Workplace benefits need to step up and enhance mental health resources for workers and their families, but this doesn’t help those who are dealing with job loss and therefore the loss of benefits. [SOURCE: https://globalnews.ca/news/9332967/canadian-youth-mental-health-access-report ]

And finally,

5. Leadership isn’t a title. Leadership isn’t being in a building. Leadership is how you support and mentor people you are invested in emotionally and psychologically. Leadership requires more listening than talking, more empathy than action items, and more vision to the future than looking back. Companies are dealing with losses of institutional knowledge due to retirements and attrition and mediocrity is still being rewarded. We have witnessed how one CEO can decimate a company with massive layoffs of technical experts, accessibility champions, and online safety personnel on a whim. As we move into 2023, redefine your definition of what leadership really means. How is your current leadership serving the greater good and instilling hope, aspirations, and goodwill for people and planet in the here and now? [SOURCE: https://www.fastcompany.com/90824676/leadership-trends-2023 ]

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What changes do you see coming to how we work in 2023 and beyond? I welcome your comments and feedback. Wishing you all the best as we charge forward into this new year.