According to Wharton School at the University of Philadelphia professor Peter Cappelli - someone who always has an interesting take on the future of work - workplace changes will tend to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary during the course of 2025, building on trends that emerged during COVID-19.
Key developments include:
The labour market will remain tight, with unemployment around 4%, giving employees continued leverage over working conditions and pay. However, remote work may decline as companies address concerns about culture and collaboration.
Despite the AI hype, significant automation will be limited. While free tools like ChatGPT may handle basic tasks, substantial automation requires major investment that many organisations won't prioritise.
Employee wellbeing challenges will persist, with companies offering surface-level solutions like chair yoga rather than addressing root causes such as constant restructuring. High staff turnover will remain a significant challenge for organisations.
Read more of his thoughts.