Balancing Acts – The Future Of Work Report 2023

New challenges, new norms

Our last Future of Work report was written during a period of upheaval, with the Covid-19 pandemic necessitating new ways of working and social movements – including Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, #StopAsianHate and growing climate activism – changing expectations of internal and external stakeholders.

Now the pandemic has abated but new challenges have emerged, as stressed supply chains and soaring energy costs have contributed to rising inflation and tough trading conditions in many markets. Economic anxiety is changing workers' priorities and, as a result, employers' agendas too: 80% of companies in our latest survey say that economic trends, including the cost-of-living crisis and the threat of recession, are driving changes to workforce policies.