A new report from the University of Melbourne Work Futures Hallmark Research Initiative has revealed that Australian workers are largely unprepared for the future of work driven by technology. The report surveyed 1,400 Australian workers in June 2022 and found that workers were exhausted, unwell, and at risk of quitting. Workers with chronic illness and caregivers faced significant challenges in the workplace, including discrimination. The report calls for governments to improve Australia’s preparedness for the future of work by providing free universal high-quality childcare, legislating workers’ access to flexible and remote work, and providing equal access to technological upskilling. Despite these challenges, the report found that the majority of Australian workers prefer ongoing flexible work arrangements.
Report Reveals Australian Workers are Exhausted and Unprepared for the Future of Work Driven by Technology
A new report from the University of Melbourne Work Futures Hallmark Research Initiative suggests that Australian workers are largely unprepared for future workplace challenges driven by automation and artificial intelligence. The report, which surveyed 1,400 Australian workers in June 2022, found that workers were exhausted, unwell, and at risk of quitting. These challenges were most prominent among prime-aged workers (between 25-55 years of age), with one-third of whom considering quitting.
The report highlights that the physical and mental health of Australian workers has been impacted since the pandemic began. With high rates of fatigue and exhaustion among younger and middle-aged workers, workers’ well-being must be a priority into the recovery to address burnout and mental distress.
The report also revealed that Australian workers are largely unprepared for the challenges of automation and artificial intelligence. While most Australians believe their skills are adequate to meet the challenges ahead, they are cautious adopters of new technologies in the workplace. One in five say they only adopt new technologies in the workplace when they are forced to. Therefore, it is important to understand the reasons behind this and facilitate technology use that is inclusive to all.
The arrival of ChatGPT, which can write language with human-like efficiencies, is one example of how AI is expected to have a major impact on the ways Australians work in the future. However, the report found that Australian workers are not too worried about being replaced by AI and automation at work. The report authors suggest that this may be due to a lack of understanding of the full impact of AI on the future of work.
The report also notes that the pandemic severely impacted caregivers, citing school closures, working from home, and reduced access to outsourced care as additional stressors to working in a challenging pandemic environment. Working caregivers are more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs and consider quitting than non-caregiver counterparts, with four in 10 believing their career opportunities are limited.
In summary, the report highlights the need for Australian workplaces to prioritize workers’ well-being into the recovery to provide greater support in addressing burnout and mental distress. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the reasons behind workers’ cautious adoption of new technologies and facilitating technology use that is inclusive to all.
Report Finds Australian Workers with Chronic Illness and Caregivers Face Challenges in the Workplace
A report from the University of Melbourne Work Futures Hallmark Research Initiative has highlighted challenges faced by Australian workers with chronic illness and caregivers in the workplace. The report found that 38% of workers had a chronic illness, higher than the 32% found in the most recent Australian Census in 2021. Over 40% of people with a chronic illness want to quit their jobs, and almost three-quarters of workers with a chronic illness said their illness is made worse by their job. These challenges may reflect the emergence of Long COVID and the growing mental distress of working during the pandemic.
Caregivers, both men and women, are also at risk of workplace attrition, with the report finding that they are working harder than before the pandemic. Discrimination at work is more widespread than previously identified, with pervasive discrimination against women, people with chronic illnesses and caregivers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Almost two-thirds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respondents said they were turned down for a job because they were Indigenous, and those with chronic illness report similar rates of being turned down because of their illness.
The report calls for governments to improve Australia’s preparedness for the future of work by providing free universal high-quality childcare, legislating workers’ access to flexible and remote work as a workplace right consistent with other OECD nations, and providing equal access to technological upskilling, especially for traditionally underrepresented groups.
Despite these challenges, the report found that Australian workers have found flexible ways of working required during the pandemic to be beneficial. The majority say ongoing flexible work arrangements are critical to their staying with their current employers. Professor Leah Ruppanner, the report co-author and gender inequality expert, emphasized the importance of workplaces taking a more holistic approach to caregiving, including ensuring men also have access to flexible work and employment policies.
In conclusion, the report highlights the challenges faced by Australian workers with chronic illness and caregivers and calls for action to improve their access to flexible work arrangements and technological upskilling. It also emphasizes the need for workplaces to take a more holistic approach to caregiving and address discrimination against underrepresented groups.
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