Back to the Future – When looking at technological advancements in the workplace, are we seeing history repeat itself?
In the past week we have enjoyed the Victoria Day holiday in Canada. Interestingly, May 24th was first declared a holiday in Canada in 1845 during the reign of Queen Victoria to recognize the then sovereign’s birthday. Queen Victoria reigned as the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Empress of India from 1837 to 1901. In addition to inspiring the name of our own May 2-4 weekend, the period of her reign has come to be known as the Victorian Era, during which she oversaw Britain’s industrial and social expansion. This period, much like today, was a time of rapid technological advancement and industrialization which impacted the nature of work, the workforce, and the physical workplace. But, if I could step back in time, even without a DeLorean and Marty McFly, I would regale the people of Victorian England with tales of how advancements in technology had some of the same and some opposite impacts on today’s workforce.
Two major areas where the look and feel of the average workplace changed, both then and now, as a result of technological advancements are:
the location of the workplace; and
the way work is carried out.
Each of these areas requires employers to consider more than just the obvious (or at least anticipated) improvements to the way their business operates.
The Workforce Changes Location
19th century Victorian England, for the first time, saw an explosion of workers moving from rural lands to the cities where they could work in factories, mills and workshops. In fact, by the 1890s, approximately 80% of the population of England and Wales lived in cities. [i]This is a stark contrast to what we are seeing in the post-COVID return to work environment and workplace.
In 2022, with technological advancements in video conference and meeting technology, greater use of the telephone (invented and patented in the Victorian Era (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell), much of the modern-day workforce finds themselves working remotely. Even more, without the need to be in their “city” offices, many workers are choosing to move away from the cities and return to more rural and suburban areas. Putting the daily commute behind, some employees are also leaving the cities behind to enjoy are more relaxed work environment.
Changes to Methods of Work
Perhaps the biggest impact of the Victorian Era was the way it changed the way people performed work. With industrialization people found themselves working in a more commercial workplaces, performing new types of work and performing work in a vastly different way. Rapid technological and scientific advancement brought the increased use of steam-powered machinery and electricity (with the light bulb patented in 1879). Transportation of goods also changed as workers found opportunities to both work on, and use, the bridges, roads, railway and transportation that rose as a result of the engineering feats of the day.
In today’s workforce, we are once again seeing a significant increase in automation which provides employers greater flexibility to respond to their business needs. Not only do laptops, cell phones and android devices allow employers greater flexibility in terms of communicating with clients and within and across team members, but they also allow many employees the opportunity to work anywhere. The terms “automation” and “AI” (artificial intelligence) are more widely used to describe the workplace of today and the future.
Whereas automation in the 19th century meant increased machinery and equipment, today it can mean anything from things like software and data management to devices and equipment that help employees perform their work, or allow them to perform it safer and/or faster. According to a 2020 report by Deloitte entitled “Automation with Intelligence, Pursuing organization-wide reimagination”, more than two-thirds of companies used automation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors of the Deloitte report noted as follows:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique circumstances, with organizations needing automation solutions that offer scalability and rapid deployment. For some, their pandemic response allows them to reimagine work. For others, automation enabled them to maintain core services during workforce disruption.”
So, what does this mean for employers?
Changes to the workplace, whether a change in process or procedures when new software or equipment is introduced, or a change in the work location, often mean employers must consider more than just when and how the implementation of new technology can be completed.
Impact on the existing and future workforce: First, consider whether the technological change will impact your employees? For example, will the new equipment mean employees need new training (including new health and safety training), or will new workers need to be hired?
All training, especially health and safety training, should be documented by the employer, including noting the date and nature of the training conducted and who attended. In addition, any transfer, hiring and termination documents will need to be prepared.
Communication – when and how: When and how will the changes be communicated to the employees, and how will the communications be delivered to answer any questions employees have? Employers must recognize that some employees fear technological change whether because they are not “tech savvy” or because they fear new technology will mean they are being replaced (particularly where AI is considered).
Employers should communicate early and openly about the changes coming and what the different technologies (tools, equipment and methods) will mean. Don’t forget to talk about the benefits of the technology. Not all technology is the Terminator coming to end things as we know it!
Updates to policies and procedures: Finally, does the new technology or automation mean a change in your workplace policies, procedures, or manuals? For example, does new software now mean employees must follow new procedures for document encryption or security?
Employers will want to review their workplace policies and procedures to determine what needs to be drafted, updated, supplemented or replaced. Two good examples of this are documenting remote work policies and arrangements with employees (whether they are temporary or permanent), and the newly required policies regarding Disconnecting from Work (to be completed in Ontario by June 1, 2022 (see our blog here)) and Electronic Monitoring (to be completed by October 11, 2022) .
As employment lawyers, we have a great deal of experience in assisting our clients with considering what workplace policies, practices, contracts and agreements need to be updated, or introduced, as a result of changes to the workplace, technological and otherwise. For more tips on how to manage changes in your workplace, and assistance with ensuring those changes are properly documented and introduced, reach out to any of us at Piccolo Heath. Our experience is a tool we are happy to share.
[i] “Urbanization and mortality in Britain, c. 1800-50,” the Economic History Review, February 21, 2020.
