Health & Science

Covid changes future work

WHEN it comes to the world of work, Covid-19 has taught us an important lesson: that preparedness is everything.

In a new report, ‘ e Changing Nature of Work: 30 Signals To Consider For A Sustainable Future’, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) examines how workplace developments are likely to in uence the way we move forward as a society.

One key nding? at planning for disruption is critical, not only to enable a rapid response to external shocks, but to ensure that any necessary adaptation is inclusive of marginalised populations.

Here are ve more things we’ve learned from the report.

1. THE PANDEMIC HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE EM PHASIS WE NEED TO PUT ON WELLBEING

Remote working has blurred the line between work and home life for many people; intensifying discussions around work-life balance and adding stress to daily life. is is particularly true for women, who have experienced higher levels of anxiety during the pandemic, according to a multinational survey by French international development organisation Focus 2030.

In its Covid-19 Risks Outlook, published in May 2020, the World Economic Forum noted that up to 70% of workers felt that Covid-related restrictions had led to the most stressful period in their career. As a result, many of us are reconsidering what really matters to us at work.

Meanwhile, the pandemic has exacerbated existing social inequalities, making it harder for marginalised communities to access healthcare, education and work opportunities.

In May 2021, the World Health Assembly recommended that governments incorporate mental health support planning into preparedness for emergencies such as the pandemic. e physical and mental health impacts of the pandemic should also be considered by employers when reimagining future work models, the UNDP report suggests.

2. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE WORK FOREVER

We are now deep into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with leading- edge technologies like robotics, arti cial intelligence, and the internet of things shifting the balance of the way we operate at work. By 2025, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, humans and machines will spend almost an equal amount of time on tasks in the workplace. is dovetails with the UNDP’s report, which suggests that so-called ‘superjobs’ – roles that spend much more time than

1. THE PANDEMIC HAS restrictions had led to the reimagining future work

Menstrual cycle linked to cardiac health, study finds

A NEW study, published in the journal Menopause, characterises cycle-length changes over the menopause transition and found that women whose cycle increased in length two years before their nal menstrual period had better measures of vascular health than those who had stable cycle lengths during this transition.

In combination with other menopause-related characteristics and health measures, changes in cycle length could help clinicians predict which patients may be at greater or lesser risk of cardiovascular disease and recommend preventive strategies.

“Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and the risk signi cantly increases after midlife, which is why we think that menopause could contribute to this disease,” says lead author Samar El Khoudary, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health.

“Menopause is not just a click of a button. It’s a multistage transition where women experience many changes that could put them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Change in cycle length, which is linked to hormone levels, is a simple metric that might tell us who is more at risk.” e average duration of a menstrual cycle is about 28 days, but this can vary widely among women. ose with frequent short cycles spend more time with high estrogen levels compared to those with fewer long cycles, and this variation in hormone levels could explain why long and irregular cycles during reproductive years have been linked with cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and other conditions.

Compared to women with stable cycles, those in the late-increase group had signi cantly more favoUrable measures of artery hardness and thickness, indicating a smaller risk of cardiovascular disease. Women in the early-increase group had the poorest measures of artery health. integrate human and machine skills – will require careful consideration of human-machine interaction protocols and ethics. One example of this is ensuring that AI systems are free from bias.

As process-driven activities are taken up increasingly by machines, there will be a demand for humans to develop new soft skills, like empathy and creativity, in order to adapt to a rise in more knowledge- intensive sectors, such as nancial services and product development.

3. WHEN IT COMES TO NEW WORK MODELS, WE’RE STILL FINDING OUR WAY

e world of work is no longer centred around traditional employment patterns. e Forum’s Platform on Digital Economy and New Value Creation estimates that 70% of new value created in the economy over the next decade will be based on digitally enabled platform business models – yet nearly half of the world’s population is not connected to the internet. at comes with its own challenges, like a lack of job security and social protection. e UNDP believes that in the future we will see a blend of best practice from across the private and public sectors, with new social protection nets adapted to emerging work models and improved digital infrastructure.

4. THE RIGHT CONDITIONS AT WORK CAN HELP FOS TER INCLUSION

A potential downside of advances in technology is that it could deepen inequalities, according to the UNDP report.

For instance, the authors note, “Women have less time for reskilling, ups-killing and seeking jobs because they spend much more time than men on unpaid care work.” ey call for skills and innovation gaps to be improved through a process of lifelong learning, on-the-job experience and sta involvement in shaping the way organisations create value alongside more formal quali cations.

More inclusive work settings – from wider corridors to areas designed for speci c tasks and even virtual reality spaces to reduce isolation among remote workers – are also set to become commonplace as we adjust to life in the wake of the pandemic.

5. ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS

With technology like crowdfunding, blockchain and online banking democratising access to investment, there is now greater opportunity for disruptive ideas to take root, says the UNDP.

It predicts that start-ups will lead the way in adopting new organisational structures and practices, as they have already done with digital collaboration tools. e organisation also sees a role for entrepreneurialism within larger and more traditional companies, supporting a culture of innovation and embedding lateral thinking, autonomy, proactivity, market awareness and risk-taking.

Whatever the future of work turns out to be, the UNDP sees one thing as non-negotiable: “ e interventions we create should focus on solving the problems of tomorrow based on foresight, with humans at the centre of transformation.”