Work

Automation and AI were tipped to revolutionise the workplace, but it’s been a virus that’s brought real change. COVID-19 has stalled the global economy, with the UN predicting cutbacks equivalent to nearly 200 million full-time workers by July.   

In The Future Of Work, Associate Professor Rebecca Cassells from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, outlines the impact of the pandemic on Australian jobs, including the people and industries most affected, and the wider societal effects of mass unemployment. 

Rebecca is joined by Professor Sharon Parker, Director of the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University, who explores how the ‘working from home’ phenomenon has helped bolster Australia’s economy and how people can work most effectively from home to support their mental health. 

Rebecca and Sharon also consider how COVID-19 could be the catalyst for greater workplace flexibility, stronger mental health initiatives and evolutions in economic trade. 

  • Unemployment figures and industries worst hit COVD-19 2.13
  • The pros and cons of working from home 7.10
  • The social and economic impact of mass unemployment 12.08
  • Australia’s mental health status and strategies 16.41
  • How COVID-19 may change the way we work in future 21.50
  • New opportunities for trade/business development 27.10
  • How to support good work design while working at home 32.47

Find out more

Got any questions, or suggestions for future topics?

Email thefutureof@curtin.edu.au.

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Curtin University supports academic freedom of speech. The views expressed in The Future Of podcast may not reflect those of the university.

Music: OKAY by 13ounce Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 Music promoted by Audio Library

You can read the full transcript of the episode here.

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