BEERG Newsletter - Future Work: A Round up of some recent developments

A report from the UK Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) on the tax implications of hybrid and distance working saw the independent adviser to the government talk to a wide range of businesses and others to consider the challenges and complexities that have arisen for employers and employees following the changes in working practices in the wake of the pandemic. Among its findings, the OTS report warned that businesses need more clarity and simpler processes for the taxation of cross-border workers, and people who work from home say their commuting costs should be treated as a tax-deductible expense if employers want them to come into the office. More here

Employers are finding that staff remain resistant to returning to the office and some are willing to quit rather than go back to the workplace, according to the BBC. Despite nearly two-thirds of workers saying they are more productive in a hybrid or remote work environment, a third of companies in the UK are planning to cut back on flexible working in the coming months, according to a poll by LinkedIn. Chantelle Brown, who works for the UK recruitment company Latte, says companies who expect staff to work five days a week in the office risk losing out on talent. But if, as many predict, the UK enters a protracted recession and competition for talent weakens, companies may find it easier to demand a return to the office.

Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross, co-authors of Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office, consider how bosses are trying to keep staff of all ages happy as they “wrestle with new ways of hybrid working” post-pandemic, saying that whether you’re in Generation X, Z, a Millennial or a Baby Boomer, “the chances are that your idea of the perfect place to work will differ to that of your older or younger colleagues.” They add that issues do not solely stem from the generational category a worker falls into, saying that while age “has a part to play . . . so does life stage.” They offer the example of the contrasting needs of staff with young children who are based in suburban locations and singletons who expect to be in a city centre. here 

This article looks at what legislators on both sides of the Atlantic are doing on the issue on Artificial Intelligence governance. One major difference is the emphasis in Europe on the information of employees’ representatives about the use of AI and algorithms in human resource decision making. 

Which is why we are running a workshop in Sitges, Barcelona on this issue in February. You can find more details here, or drop me an email at [email protected] 

Download BEERG Newsletter Issue #01 2023 as a PDF