All in A Day’s Work “After working for 24 hours straight he called it a day.”

Terms to Work with: Employees may seek a compressed workweek (40 hrs work in less than 5 days) or job sharing among two people to achieve a satisfying work-life balance. A satisfying work-life balance may mean reduced time poverty, a deficiency of personal or family time because of work demands. Some companies may allow term-time employment to allow parents to take leave to coincide with school holidays.

REMOTE WORKING Terms to describe a flexible workspace. Telecomuting, telework, “virtual work”, “workshifting” and “mobile work” all indicate work done outside of the traditional workplace. Who does remote working benefit? What are disadvantages to remote working? What challenges might remote workers face in the future? Should employers trust employees to work all the hours they are being paid for?

REMOTE WORKING, CONT’D Challenges. Some workers report feeling socially isolated or having difficulty finding the motivation to work from home. Some choose to use telework centers while others chose to split their time between home and the office Younger workers familiar with social networking tend to require less “face time” with colleagues. “Work creep” describes the blurring between work and personal time.

The Redefined Work Week Employers are increasingly moving toward “4/10” plans (4 ten-hour work days) called compressed workweeks. A variation of the traditional workweek retains the 5/8 workweek, but allows employees to work from home one day each week. Governments worldwide are also trying to alleviate workweek hour limits; for example: employees could choose to work 70 hours in a week. In contrast, many unions fight for hour limits, especially for remote workers.

Design Technology Picture future workspaces... Technology Collaboration/Teamwork Building design Voice Recognition Systems Furniture Wireless Access Virtual Meetings/Conferences What kind of structure/design/technology is needed for your future work possibilities?

The Technology Dilemma Faster, better technology leads to more competitive, innovative business models. At the same time, it often replaces the jobs that humans have been doing for centuries. As businesses strive for more efficient, information system (or A.I.) resources to utilize, there is increasingly less need for human labor. This creates a “double-edged sword” of sorts: high tech manufacturing can revitalize an industry, but often means a decrease in job positions.

Commuting Despite technological advances and flexible scheduling trends, many workers will still face commuting challenges in the future. As the human population increases, employees may be forced to consider commuting in decisions such as purchasing homes, selecting schools for their children, and what cars to buy. In the future, it is likely that commuting will lead to increased struggles and frustration for the office-worker.

Business Process Outsourcing Information Technology (IT) describes technology used to create, store, exchange and use information in various forms; Information and communication technologies (ICT) are similar but focus on communication technologies (internet, wireless networks, cell phones, etc.) Business is tending toward the outsourcing of more core functions through ICT. Business Process Outsourcing began with the outsourcing of customer service and tech support, but now extends to “back office” job tasks such as payroll.

Cloud Computing … and cyber attack. Innovations like cloud computing help to give remote workers access to processing power, data and software they may need for work tasks. However, many fear that the benefits of cloud computing (extensive capabilities, affordability) do not entirely outweigh the security issues resulting from increased dependence on information networks. Companies already face increased exposure to industrial espionage and leave themselves more vulnerable to cyber attack.

To The Cloud! The advantages of cloud computing Reduced carbon footprint Reduced wear/tear on infrastructure Employment opportunities for disabled, caregivers, parents Widespread job locations (no geographic restrictions) Functional in Emergency Response situations Take the time to consider why these are advantages, and what implications they may have on the workforce.

Work-Life Balance Describes the relationship between the time and effort put into work and the amount given to other aspects of life such as family, exercise, and hobbies. Even with options to work from home and flexible working hours, many experience a difficulty in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Work it Out How will the future of commuting influence where people choose to live? What will the ideal work space of the future look like? What will be the workforce “makeup” in 10 years? 20 years? What work will humans be doing? What work can be delegated to computers or information systems? What skills will employees need to be competent workers in the future?