The Great Recession of 2008 is still having repercussions on the global economy. Notable, in particular, is the effect on the workforce of many western countries adjusting to shifting workplace realities. Millions in North America lost their jobs; many thousands more job losses are expected in several European countries; many of those already unemployed are still struggling to find employment; all these factors highlight emerging changes to employment culture in general.
New positions are harder to come by, have more competition, and are more likely to be temporary or contractual as employers themselves adjust to the new reality. And the new reality is making freelancers of many more of us.
The majority of workers in the past few decades worked in full time salaried positions with many keeping these positions for an average of 5-10 years and changing jobs on average 4 or 5 times in a working lifetime. The employer provided the workplace, the tools and the benefits to keep the workers motivated beyond their salaries. Often these benefits included paid vacation, health insurance, a car, and a company pension.
In the past decade, the full time, permanent style of employment became less and less the norm. The recent economic turmoil threatens to change that way of life forever.
Telecommuting and Working from Home or Starting a Business
In recent years, teleworking or working from home became more acceptable, giving new freedom, savings and flexibility to both the employer and employee. Computers had the most profound impact on this style of working, allowing greater connectivity and variety to working styles. It has also given rise to the 24/7 office, increasing productivity and stress. Harnessing new technology can help reduce these burnout issues and improve the work/life balance.
Now, with the shifting dynamics of the global economy, workers are faced with uncertainty and fear regarding their job security. One solution is to take more control over the emerging situation, by harnessing the new technologies, and opening opportunities in alternative workplace strategies. Options such as working from home or using flex time arrangements are attractive to employees but can cause productivity issues.
Many disillusioned job seekers have taken proactive entrepreneurial steps and created their own companies or started their own businesses. Online marketplaces such as eBay, Etsy, or Craigslist provide lucrative venues for people to buy and sell goods and services.
Social Networking Tools are Being Used Increasingly for Savvy Business Connections
Networking communities such as Linked-In, Facebook and Twitter are providing avenues for making new connections and maintaining customers and contacts. This new form of work communication can be daunting and confusing but it can also be liberating if approached in an positive manner, by learning to effectively use the new technologies to give maximum access with minimum effort.
Chat software like MSN Messaging and GChat are being used by businesses for keeping in touch with employees on the move and updating customers. Skype, the internet conference service that is free for digital users and for a small monthly fee, can connect to any land line in the world, gives affordable global access. Other business conferencing tools such as Dimdim and Constant Contact are providing another affordable alternative to time consuming meetings.
Modern methods of IT provision services such as Cloud Computing combine internet data storage with positive environmental issues such as a reduced carbon footprint for businesses.
Governments are already looking at making changes to tax laws to accommodate the new working realities. New products and services will need to be devised to take the place of those provided by big companies that no longer exist or have had to innovate and regroup.
Workers wanting to branch out on their own or form co-operatives or partnerships will need to investigate what new options are available, choose carefully or create their own.
Whatever the new working reality brings, it will can only help to master the new technologies.
Wendy Foster-DeGroot - Wendy has a BA(Hons) in Art History. She works in academic research administration in Canada. While living in Newfoundland in the 1980s, ...
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