Asked at the World Economic Forum to sum up the future of work, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, said: “We’re still learning because there has been real structural change . . . There are new patterns of work emerging.” He was referring to artificial intelligence but also the aftershocks of the pandemic.The seeds were sown in the first lockdowns of 2020, as white-collar workers retreated to their homes, while many in service roles found themselves classed as “essential”. The repercussions are being felt long after the world opened up again, notably in tussles over office working, skills shortages, and industrial action over pay and conditions.
“We are at a point of real change,” says Peter Cheese, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the UK body for HR professionals. “We’ve needed it. Our working practices have barely changed since the industrial era.”
These ructions look set to continue for some time, not least over the role of the office, with many business leaders secretly wanting employees to return to their company desks.