The megatrend of “new work” is changing the world of work. This new idea of work is based on flexibility and personal responsibility. Employees are being given greater scope for making decisions and are taking on more #responsibility. New working time models can be adapted to individual needs during various phases of life. Digitalization is fostering #efficiency and simultaneously necessitates an #activelearningculture. 

“Purpose” is an important keyword in the context of new work. It translates roughly as “meaning, aim, intention.” It is concerned with the meaningfulness of paid work. New work means not simply doing a job, but also finding fulfillment and personal development opportunities in it. 

The megatrend of new work is both an opportunity and a challenge for companies. Take corporate culture as an example: if a company wants to foster its employees’ personal responsibility and #proactive approach and benefit from their creativity, traditional hierarchies and rigid structures first have to be broken down. 

The introduction of new technologies is indispensable. The integration of digital tools and automated systems necessitates investments and training for employees. Only then are they able to use the new technologies effectively.

The work-life balance is another important aspect: more flexible working times and working locations can contribute to a balanced relationship between work and employees’ private lives. However, they can also lead to overloading. One of the managers’ tasks is to avoid this. 

Companies should give thought to the design of workspaces that foster collaboration. At the same time, they have to enable employees to work undisturbed. Employment models that permit both work on site and mobile work open up new possibilities in this respect.

It is worthwhile taking a look back to recognize what power for change the megatrend of new work has: in rural society, men and women contributed equally to the survival of the entire farm community. Workplaces outside of the home only arose with the emergence of industrialization. The nuclear family replaced the farm community, and both men and women began to take up employment away from the home. During this period, however, housework was increasingly left up to the women, as an additional burden alongside their employment.

Consequently, political, social, and economic developments concentrated solely on the work that was related to an income, i.e. on paid work. This understanding of work is therefore still relatively young and is changing.