KPMG Demographics sees an end to nine-to-five work days, city-centric living and peak-hour commutes
IMAGINE working from home or in touchdown offices in airports and hotels and in three bursts over 24 hours — it’s the near future, a new report states.
NINE-to-five work days, city-centric living and peak-hour commutes are becoming a thing of the past.
Exponentially improved technology is set to readjust Australians’ work-life balance, according to new report ‘Towards a Super Connected Australia’ released today.
Developed by KPMG Demographics and commissions by NBN Co, the report has predicted greater control over how and when we work: “If work is measured by deliverables then what does it matter if that deliverable is delivered over three bursts of work completed over 24 hours?”
Demographer and report author Bernard Salt said office workers would increasingly base themselves at home or in touchdown offices but there would still be a need for physical workplaces.
“You could do the sea change or tree change thing and for 70 per cent of your work you can complete it at home or at a cafe or in a hotel but you are still going to need to connect into the workplace through collaboration, it’s just not a daily commute,” he said.
New figures from workplace provider Regus revealed 70 per cent of almost 2000 surveyed Australians already had a home office, higher than the 61 per cent global average.
Regus Australia and New Zealand chief executive Paul Migliorini said the business mindset was adapting to view flexible work practices as the future with reduced costs, maximised productivity, and healthier work-life balance.
“Work has become a thing you do, not a place you go,” he said.
In Europe, Regus is currently creating drop-in workspaces in airports, train stations and petrol stations — something we could see in Australia soon.
Mitel South Pacific presales engineer Roger Lang said he had worked from home, the office and Regus drop-in workspaces for years.
“We use video conferencing and it doesn’t matter where I am to do that, whether that’s in an office, the Virgin lounge or in the back of a taxi,” he said.
Despite his flexible work, Mr Lang said he still earned a traditional salary — which was likely to remain the norm, according to Mr Salt.
“I think that workers of the future will be paid the same regardless of whether they are working in an office or if they are largely mobile,” he said.
Mr Salt predicted women in particular would embrace increasing work flexibility afforded by technology.
“In a non-connected world, a woman living out of town cannot commute 60 minutes into town and out again and look after three kids and therefore they disconnect from the workforce,” he said.
“Super connectivity will allow women to remain in the workforce longer.”
But he also admitted technological advancement posed possible negative effects for workers.
“One of the greatest challenges of super connectivity is knowing when to stop,” he said.
“If your boss emails you at 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon when you’re watching your kid’s soccer game do you reply to the email or watch your kid?
“There will be a decade in which we evolve the protocols to separate home time and work time.”
NBN aims to provide fast broadband access for all Australians and connect 8 million homes and businesses to the network by 2020.