The Future of Work Podcast International Labour Organization

Each year, discrimination at work around gender identity, ethnicity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation cost millions of dollars to our national economies and companies. Worse, one-in-four people do not feel valued at work and those who do feel included are in more senior roles, according to a new report on diversity and inclusion by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Today, diversity and inclusion have become new buzzwords in the global agenda. Yet, despite some progress, a lot remains to be done to embed diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the employee lifecycle and drive productivity, profitability, and innovation in businesses.

At the same time, the COVID-19 crisis has also demonstrated that inclusion and diversity matter more than ever. Therefore, embracing it as a core value is a must for a sustainable future of work. But what can be done to make this ideal a reality for millions of workers and employers worldwide?

Effective and comprehensive care systems not only support fundamental rights and human dignity, they also help people maximise their potential and their contribution to economies and societies. However, gaps in care systems – which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic – can undermine gender equality and make it more difficult for those with disabilities to find work, so removing talent and skills from the workforce. A new ILO report on care at work analyses the current state of care services in 185 countries and makes a strong case for increasing investment in the sector.

More than 60 per cent of the world’s adult labour force, or about 2 billion workers, work in the informal economy. They are not recognized, registered, regulated or protected under labour legislation and social protection. The consequences can be severe, for individuals, families as well as economies.

Despite major efforts over the years, there are few signs of the informal economy shrinking in size. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more workers into informal work to survive while highlighting the vital role access to social protection plays to support workers, especially when they are unable to work.

Just what is life like for workers in the informal economy? What are the global solutions to intransigent informality and will the growth of the ‘gig’ economy help informal economy workers gain the security and social protection they so badly need?

There is an enormous demand for scientific skills in the world of work. But if not enough women are inspired and encouraged to study science, they risk missing out on the jobs of the future and scientific professions risks losing the perspectives and experiences that women bring to the table.

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science we explore why the world needs science, and science needs women and girls.

Dr. Natasha Hurley-Walker, award-winning radio astronomer, explains how science is a key part to navigating the complexity of the world that we're in and what can be done to close the gender gap in this field.

The pandemic accelerated the digitalization of small businesses, which had to adapt very quickly to the new circumstances. But going digital goes beyond the purely technological aspect. It is about changing the whole way a company operates, in a transition that can affect its finances and its employees. Dr Sandy Chong, who specializes in helping companies to go digital, explains how they are coping with these challenges.

Traditionally the menopause has been an almost invisible issue, regarded as a medical or personal matter for women and their families only.
But women of menopausal age now account for 11% of the G7 workforce alone, and the number affected will rise globally, as populations age. Recent research has shown that the effects of the menopause are far more extensive than previously understood, including anxiety, depression, ‘brain fog’, insomnia, exhaustion and heart palpitations.
In the UK alone, more than 900,000 women are estimated to have left the workforce early because of the menopause - at an age when their talent, skills and experience are most valuable - with knock-on consequences for gender pay and pensions gaps and workplace productivity. One study has estimated global menopause-related productivity losses at more than US$150 billion a year.
A growing cohort of companies, trade unions and policymakers are re-evaluating the menopause as a business, economic and even legislative issue, one that is an integral part of the world of work. So, how should the menopause be handled in the workplace?