Debate, discourse and in-depth discussions have been raging around Australia and the world about what the future of working is. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a game-changer turning traditional workplace culture on its head – so professionals and organisations are having to re-think sustainable, inclusive and flexible solutions to their work, workplaces and the broader workforce.
What will the office of the future look like? 🖥️#OnThisDay 1979: Judith Hann's look at homeworking technology gets a lot of things very nearly right. pic.twitter.com/ydLcqNBACn
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) September 3, 2022
It seems that – again – the future is already here. Governments across Australia and around the world are seeing the 4-day work week as a viable solution. Will a hybrid model that leverages AI technology and flexibility to create maximum impact? Is it as simple as working ‘Anytime, Anywhere’? Does anything actually have to change? But if working is changing, how can we ensure that it’s diverse, equitable, ethical, climate-conscious, and inclusive?
These are just a few of the questions we will explore at our upcoming ‘The Future of Work – Is the 4-day Work Week the Solution?‘ Roundtable. This event is a follow-up to our ‘Creating Australia 2040 – Education and Employability’ National Summit in August 2022 which called for more exploration on the issues and challenges we are facing in preparing ourselves and our workplaces for this future.
This Roundtable will provide an opportunity for our Member Organisations to explore, discuss and comment on how this future of working will impact our professional lives. The discussions will inform where we will focus our attention in 2023.
Our expert panel
ACoP’s Chief Professionalist Professor Deen Sanders OAM will facilitate this exploratory session with our expert panel. As the public face of our mission to advocate for the value of professional expertise, Deen will bring his organisational and own professional insights into this conversation, exploring what it means for professional organisations and their members.
We will hear our Chief Futurist, Dr Simon Eassom provoke our thinking on the seismic shifts disrupting the workforce of the future. In his role as Chief Futurist, Simon will develop and accelerate ACoP’s presence and value on specific ‘futurology’ scenarios; developing materials and presentations that could be used by ACoP members for their own understanding of the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other challenges facing humanity; and importantly assisting in the advocacy of ACoP as the leading voice in presenting objective assessment of the issues facing the professions, governments and society overall.
Also on the panel is Shivani Gopal who explore what an inclusive, diverse and equitable work environment will resemble in the future. Shivani is a passionate feminist, serial entrepreneur, and finance expert on a mission to create a more equal world. She is the Founder and CEO of Elladex (formerly The Remarkable Woman) and Co-Founder of Upstreet. Shivani will share the findings of her recent research and the development of a diversity, equity and inclusion national framework, focusing on its impact on workplaces of the future in the context of gender inclusion, equity and flexibility.
Our expert panel is rounded out by Mark Bonner, Engineers Australia’s Head of Climate Smart Engineering, who will provide a unique economist perspective on the effect of the dissolution of the 5-day, 9-to-5 working week in city-based office blocks on carbon footprints, sustainability and climate change.