Sexual Harassment, Generation Z, Unequal Pay and Others: Workplace Issues for 2018

There are many pressing workplace issues both here in Australia, and internationally.

And as 2018 gets underway, several trends and issues are already raising attention: with a strong likelihood they will remain at the centre of conversation throughout the year.

In a recent article in Fast Company magazine, US leadership and management expert Lynda Dishman outlines some of them; paying particular attention to the most relevant and topical:

1. Unequal pay

 Wikipedia states that in Australia currently, the average weekly earnings of Australian male workers are, on average, more than 17 per cent higher than those of female workers. This is despite the fact that in this country, the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ was introduced in 1969. Similarly in the US, which in some States has a much wider wage gap than here in Australia, SmartAsset’s vice president of financial education AJ Smith says when it comes to things like housing, for example, women can be severely disadvantaged. This is because they are often forced to pay more than the recommended 30 per cent of their income on rent: a figure usually much less for male workers

2. Workplace harassment

 According to Dishman, it is highly likely there will be a continuation of the current levels of workplace harassment in the US in 2018. This is partly because in the US, most employees still have no legal recourse if they are reporting harassment at work: particularly if employed at small businesses. On a more positive note, however, Dishman quotes Jim Barnett, the CEO of leading US HR tech firmGlint, who he says, hopes for a more meaningful and conscious approach to leadership in 2018, particularly in the area of workplace harassment as well as a concerted effort by organisations to monitor and improve employee engagement.

 3. The arrival of Generation Z

 Dishman states 2018 will welcome the first surge of young graduates known as ‘Generation Z’ to the workforce on a full-time basis. To get the best out of this new wave of talent, Dishman believes employers should think more about fostering growth opportunities; rather than simply paying them more to try and keep them loyal. The managing director of Harvey Nash Professional Recruitment, Andrew Heyes, agrees believing employers should offer all of their young staff new courses and training. Doing this, will also enable the ‘newbies’ to grow into the more experienced job roles more quickly.

 4. Growth of remote and freelance work

 In a recent Staples Annual Workplace Survey, conducted by KRC Research on behalf of Staples Business Advantage in the US, 1004 full-time employees and 200 office managers and facilities managers were surveyed in the US and Canada. The results were thought provoking showing a major trend towards remote and freelance work. Indeed, the survey found only 32 per cent of employees were spending all of their time working in or at their office, and that 43 per cent of employees believe remote working is a ‘must-have’.

 5. Robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

 This area is expected to force some dramatic workplace changes in 2018, although fortunately, according to Chris Bolte, cofounder and CEO of Paysa, huge job losses are not expected. Bolte says a recent company survey has revealed that the new technology should, of course, create more demand for workers skilled in Artificial Intelligence. The downside is that as many as 375 million workers around the world may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills, because in about 60 per cent of jobs, at least one-third of the work can be automated.