14 January 2016

The

Future of Work

Policy Forum

JOIN THE DEBATE!

The Future

of Work

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF WORK GOING?

The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour - Canada

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To help workers meet the challenges of a changing world of work, the government should offer adequate training (and re-training) programmes, promote apprenticeships and remove punitive requirements for accessing social safety nets.

Janina Kugel Chief Human Resources Officer and Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG

“ Digitisation is already changing almost every job. We get things done much faster, but the world is also more complex than ever. This requires a new ‘horizontal’ leadership, where decisions can no longer be taken isolated from the top. ”

David Plouffe Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy, Uber

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On-demand technology platforms will give people more control over their jobs and their lives, offering flexible work that empowers them to decide where, when and for how long they work.

Ms Irene Wennemo State Secretary to the Swedish Minister for Employment

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Modern labour markets are increasingly dynamic, but the benefits of flexibility should be coupled with effective policies to fight inequality and ensure that workers have sufficient access to upskilling opportunities and adequate safety nets.

Lisa Lynch Interim President and Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy, Brandeis University

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While technology has certainly transformed the workplace, there is a more multifaceted explanation for growing wage dispersion, job polarization and stagnant median wages that should inform policies for producing skills that are complementary to technology, trade, and organizational innovations.

Eli Noam Paul Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Business Responsibility. Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information, Columbia University

“ Better jobs for fewer people ”

Giuseppe Recchi Executive chairman of Telecom Italia and Fondazione Telecome Italia

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I do not see the future of work in its replacement or displacement by technology but in the complementarity of humans and machines. Smarter machines and smarter people can complement each other to create a mass of customized products and services: the world of new artisans.

Guy Ryder ILO Director-General

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Technological advance will create turbulence in job markets and transform the very nature of where and how we work but its ultimate impact will depend on our capacity to manage change in the best interests of society.

The Rt Hon Priti Patel Minister of State for Employment – United Kingdom

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Employers also have a big role to play for people with health conditions.

Michael Nelson Internet-related global public policy, CloudFlare

“ The dramatic reduction in the cost of starting a digital business due to Cloud computing, social media platforms, broadband, Big Data tools, and easier outsourcing options means that more and more people will live in the “Gig Economy,” hopping from job to job and company to company every year or two. ”

Brent Wilton Director of Global Workplace Rights, Coca-Cola

“ For better or for worse, work is likely to be more flexible, temporary and dispersed. ”

Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch State Secretary of Economic Affairs, Switzerland

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We need to develop VET at the tertiary level but also improve permeability with academic education.

Marco de Rossi Internet entrepreneur, Founder of Oilproject

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Technology allows to mix skills from different fields - my company was born mixing Italian Literature with Php Web Development. New professions will emerge from unexpected combinations of Human Arts, Artificial intelligence and Natural Sciences.

Augustin Verlinde Founder of Frizbiz

“ We are looking towards a more flexible, more independent, more collaborative way to work. It will be run by a generation with new values, and new expectations. Our generation wants to lead their life, and work smarter. To make it possible, we need smart regulation for a smart development. New technology and digitisation will help this work transition, and make the best use towards higher value and digitised opportunities. ”

Ms. Andrea Nahles Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs - Germany

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There are a number of things that the government can do to adapt to the changes brought about by digitalisation, but I expect employers also to accept their responsibilities. (…) New businesses need to play the game and be socially responsible. Let’s not create a parallel universe in the world of work

John Evans General Secretary, TUAC - Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD

“ The risks of growing insecurity, polarisation, inequality and job displacement are real. But this is not inevitable: with enlightened policies and effective institutions, technological change and digital innovation can raise job quality and meet the massive unmet needs of the global economy. ”

Philip Jennings General Secretary of UNI Global Union

“ ” It’s time for the world of digital capitalism to take the impacts on jobs and social justice seriously.

Mr. Thomas Perez Secretary of Labor – United States

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In the United States we need to make sure that economic growth results in shared prosperity

William Spriggs Chief Economist to the AFL-CIO, Professor of Economics at Howard University

“ The great challenge of technology to labor markets and equality is brought about from policies keeping unemployment high, wages and the collective voice of workers low. This will turn technology from advancing society as it did in the middle of the 20th Century to rent seeking, lower labor standards and wages in the 21st Century if we do not change our policies soon. ”

Jacques van den Broek CEO and chairman of the Executive Board of Randstad Holding nv

“ The future of work will bring radical change for talent, companies and society, a change where the digitalisation is disrupting many traditional approaches from education to employment; we all need to be prepared, start today by having an agile plan, act on it and adapt - not easy but it can be done. ”

Mr. Nkosi, Sango Phathekile Holomisa Deputy Minister of Labour – South Africa

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How can we extend comprehensive social security to the entire workforce?

Bernd Liepert CIO, KUKA AG and President euRobotics

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Robots will work with people, enabling them to realize their full potential while also reducing boring and physically demanding tasks. Facing a decreasing and aging workforce, robots are the only means to increase productivity and to offer more rewarding job opportunities to our workers. Future generations will be robotic natives. They will naturally work with robots as we do today with computers and smartphones.

Robots will assist and interact with people in their everyday lives at home, at public places and at work, increasing quality of life.

The Future

of Work

FIND OUT MORE AT oe.cd/future-of-work