It goes without saying that work in America today is extensively different from what labor was like in the years past. There have been multiple impacts that have feel already, changing completely the industries of today. Offices used to be made up of cubicles and c-suites. The employees of the office were encouraged to work independently and stay focused on the task at hand all the time. This contrasts to the modern workplace today, where collaboration is encouraged much more. The workplaces of 30-40 years ago were also a lot less oriented around technology. Communications for businesses took place over landlines and face-to-face, and all of the papers and documents were in hard-copy form. Work at this time revolved around a nine to five work schedule, and there were also many other jobs that involved physical labor.
All of these factors that have taken place have been largely what made up the well known workplace. However, there have been many advancements in our society which have completely changed and revolutionized the way the American workplace is seen. Specifically, there have been many changes in technology that have achieved this alteration. Today, there is a greater focus on feeling comfortable, where there are accommodations like contented seating, standing desks, and the introduction of remote working. These changes that have been introduced in the recent years have taken place in the intention of keeping the staff members satisfied and obliging to their needs. Today, a common theme found in the modern workplace deals with the rise of technology, as well as collaboration. There have been many utilities and tools introduced to us with the purposed of increasing productivity and making things more efficient for the everyday employee.
The common theme of technology in our society has acted as a central driver for these changes and transformations. There are many examples of these that have had an impact already on labor today. For example, the mobile internet. This invention has revolutionized our world, and specifically the roles of people in society today. Prior to the internet, many employees were limited to activities they could perform on the computer. They previously were only used for electronic filing and administrative purposes for the most part. With allowed access to the world wide web, efficiency towards work has increased greatly. However, in some cases, the access to the internet can also have a negative effect on the workplace, hindering distractions that cause employers to set limits and regulations that must be adhered. It was found that 40% of someone’s productive time on average could be taken up by shifting between tasks.
Internet usage has also had a major impact on communication. In the past, communication was done through the telephone, face-to-face visits, and inter office mail. The internet how allowed for electronic communication such as instant messaging, video conferences, and email. With the ability to now contact electronically, time barriers that were once a major impediment have now been eliminated. Productivity has increased immensely, allowing supervisors to work remotely and continue to keep in contact with their employees, and companies can direct meetings as well as transfer information to different locations faster.
From the introduction of all of these new and innovative technologies and tools, as well as the rise of remote working, the modern workplace has adapted immensely over the years. That being said, how much has it changed over this time, and what could it look like 100 years from now? Will offices even exist in the future? With the rise of remote working, what psychological impact will be left on humans having to deal with this newfound isolation and identity cover? It is predicted that specifically factors such as the rise of robotics, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing, will all factor into the ways we currently make, mend, and manage products and deliver services, for example. These influences could could change the labor force vastly, revolutionizing and completely altering how we look at it today.
The future of the workplace may not be in an office, but could deal with interconnected workspaces tied to multiple places. These could then be underpinned by virtual conferencing, complete and constant connection and portability. The use of virtual reality software, new and improved web browsing capabilities, and faster file transfer are all things that could work remote work easier and more efficient, leaving a great impact on the everyday labor force. Another difference would be the working day. Being able to leverage big data such as traffic times, could substantially cut down journey times. This would be able to make morning and afternoon commutes much more convenient and manageable. There is the possibility that this feature wouldn’t even affect you if you work from home, introducing a more efficient way to work through the advancement of technology, relieving the stain from overcrowded or busy regionalizing locations for work.
The increase in automation from technological developments can have an affect on jobs, both negatively and positively. People may not be completely replaced, however, machines may be able to compliment their activities. Through a done study, it was found that in the next decade or so, 30 percent of activities in about 60 percent of jobs will be automated, but only 5 percent of the jobs themselves could actually be automated. Yes, these numbers will likely increase as time goes on, as the job field will be changing dramatically. For many people, a future of robots will be one with the creation of jobs, empowering the American worker in todays jobs. In other words, the state of our economy and society today has only seen the beginning of what technology has to offer.
For example, if we were to take workers on production line, they can run into many cases where an oncoming event could leave a harmful effect on their bodies. With the introduction of automation, these robots could be used as tools and partners, allowing for a safer workplace. The robots can reach into dangerous places and complete tasks that shouldn’t be completed by a human in the first place. In the grand scheme of things, the likelihood of robots completely overtaking jobs in which a human touch is needed is probably pretty low. They can be, however, used for more mundane tasks like cleaning. Another big thing with the development of robots, is that it requires high level thinking and creativity, which can fill the void for more jobs. The only way that advanced robots could be made to somehow replace certain jobs, more jobs like designers and software developers must first be fulfilled. Not only are jobs then being created, but jobs for the deployment, operation, and task of maintaining them are now created. With the rapid growth of the development of technology, the American workforce has changed a lot from many years ago, and will continue to change into the future.