Good work?

"You're on mute."

In March 2020, this became an all too familiar refrain as our working lives were turned upside down. Many of us – although by no means all – were suddenly 'working from home', connected to the outside world through our computers.

By and large, we got on with it. There were upsides – and downsides. But, most of all, there were questions. We were collectively re-evaluating our working lives.

Before the pandemic, new trends had already started to emerge. Digital technologies were changing the way we were doing things from buying groceries to calling a cab. Organisations were becoming increasingly conscious of their responsibilities to the planet and to the wellbeing of their staff. Governments were becoming more concerned about growing inequalities between and within countries.

But these changes were incremental. Mostly we carried on behaving in the same way our parents, their parents, and generations before them, have done. We would get up and go to work.

Until the pandemic stopped us. Suddenly, we had an opportunity to take stock, to consider the forces of change already in train and to ask 'Where do we go from here?'

But to do that we need to recognise that we are in a state of transition. We are still tethered to a set of expectations and beliefs about work and life that are no longer fully relevant. At the same time, we are looking towards a more equitable, productive, meaningful, responsible and, dare I say it, more caring future.

The good news about this 'in-between' state is that it is also a space of incredible potential. We can not only dare to imagine – but for the first time in many of our lives – actually create the future we want.

Freed from expectations about, say, face-time at the office, expressing our true selves at work, or what contributes to productivity, we get to rewrite the rules. This once-in-a-generation opportunity cannot be wasted.

"Suddenly, we had an opportunity to take stock, to consider the forces of change already in train and to ask 'Where do we go from here?'"

"This once-in-a-generation opportunity cannot be wasted."

Our Future of Work initiative seizes this opportunity to launch ambitious, multidisciplinary research programmes on themes that must be explored, understood, and tackled in fundamentally new and evidence-led ways in order to deliver the future we want.

The first issue the partnership will address is an urgent one – that of supporting and enhancing mental wellbeing for individuals, the current and future workforce and for society as a whole.

Professor Gordon Harold is leading the Mental Wellbeing programme for the partnership, with Professors Diane Coyle CBE and Sir John Aston.

Gordon explains: "Mental health is the bedrock of a healthy, productive and positive society. It is estimated that 1 in 5 children and adults in the UK experience mental ill health and that by 2030 depression will be a leading cause of premature death and illness globally, costing an estimated $16 trillion dollars annually.

"According to a report published in February 2022, mental health problems are costing the UK economy at least £117.9 billion annually, equivalent to approximately 5% of the UK’s GDP.

"Promoting positive mental health and supporting those who experience or are at risk of mental ill health is now a national and global priority. We know that 75% of serious mental illness in adulthood is in place before the age of 18 years, so starting to address this early is essential.

"This partnership will bring together researchers and experts across the fields of psychology, education, mathematics, economics, intervention and prevention science and other related academic and professional disciplines.

"We will work directly with KPMG and their partners to offer a unique and innovative interdisciplinary research programme that will help us better understand the factors that affect mental wellbeing at work. It will also show how evidence-based support can positively affect individual mental wellbeing, enhance workplace productivity and promote a healthy workforce for the future."

“As we emerge from the pandemic to different ways of working, we are all being impacted by change and now more than ever, businesses will benefit from research and data to help them invest in the right areas to support their workforce, their organisations and to reflect a changing society.

Chris Hearld, Head of Regions at KPMG UK explains why the initiative is so important for KPMG. “Supporting the mental wellbeing of employees is a key issue in the new world of work for business leaders and this is the first pillar of research we will jointly explore.

"Promoting positive mental health and supporting those who experience or are at risk of mental ill health is now a national and global priority."

“Our partnership will research and identify what really works when it comes to supporting mental wellbeing in the workplace, addressing the current lack of data evidencing clear links between mental wellbeing policies and better employee health.

“By helping business leaders support their people to thrive at work, we intend to play a role in lifting productivity, delivering wider benefits to the economy and the people who work in it.”

Published 21 June 2022

_Photography

_{Portrait of Jennifer Howard-Grenville: StillVision photography
Image of workers stretching: Hispanolistic, Getty Images
Woman shaking hands with robot: Peter Cade, Getty Images}

_{The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License}