I’m leading the Review of Modern Employment for UK Government and I am determined that the Review will be bold and offer a comprehensive strategy for a better work future.
I decided early on that tackling exploitation, confusion and perverse incentives in work would only be likely if we all care as much about the quality of employment as about its quantity.
Good work is something the RSA cares about deeply.
We need a good work economy because
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Most people in poverty are already in work.
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Bad work is bad for people’s health and wellbeing
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Bad work is more likely to be low productivity work and thus bad for the economy
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Automation will impact the future of work
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Bad work – with no choice or voice for workers – just feels wrong in 2017
But if good work for all is to become a reality, I need to show that there is strong support in civil society and the wider public for this goal.
The RSA wants you to talk about what good work means to you.
We have a few weeks to persuade whoever wins the next election that good work matters.
Post a video on Facebook or Twitter using #GoodWorkIs to tell us what good work means for you
Or comment below to share your conversation about good work
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Good work is work we flourish doing
We flourish when our needs (Maslow) as an individual are met and we are 'in relation' (Buber) with others and the world
"Good work" should be framed in the model of the Maslow pyramid.
First and foremost it should provide good security of employment.
Secondly it should provide a living wage which probably should not be based on the normal definition of "poverty".
Thirdly it should be fulfilling - for different people this means different things - for example it may be working with others who provide friendship and mutual support, or it may be a fulfilling technical or intellectual challenge, or it may be that the outcome of the work has social value in improving the lives of others with new or cheaper or more accessible products or services or it may be that the working environment provides opportunities for personal or career growth and development. For most people it will be a combination of these and perhaps others.
Lastly it should provide a good work/life balance - again what this means will differ for different people.
The conclusion of all of this is that government need to legislate for some of these items. Others need to be designed into the work model that employers offer and lastly that staff management needs to understand people as individuals and select employees that they can fulfil their aspirations in the employment on offer or construct the work demand in a way that fits the ambitions of different employees.
Additionally the education system needs to equip people to approach work in an open and committed way recognising the need of and preparing them for lifelong learning.
Work and talk are the main channels by which we make a tiny imprint on the public world ---by which we are known and which fix our social identity. Good work is therefore a product of realistic self-knowledge, a quality which used to be fostered by education, but which is now in danger of going extinct. Christopher Ormell
Work is critical to the health and well being of individuals and therefore to the country as a whole. People need to feel they are doing a good job that is appropriately rewarded. There needs to be trust, respect and a value placed on the individual. The reward is the ability to live a decent life and to feel in control, which includes being able to afford a decent place to live, to feed the family and to be able to invest in some leisure time. Control of ones life through a trusting workplace is essential.
Freedom, autonomy and satisfaction are essential elements of work I would categorise as 'good'. I suspect my clients would revert to more measurable proxy metrics such as on-time, as requested and to expected standards or quality. What's good for the gander may not be good for the geese......