Report: Future risk: Impact of work on health, safety and wellbeing

Bringing together the latest evidence into how work is likely to change in the future, this British Safety Council and Robertson Cooper report looks at what the probable impact will be on people's physical and mental wellbeing and what employers, trade unions, educators and government should do now to prepare for the future.

Key findings:

• The implication of ‘any time, any place’ work will continue to erode loyalty between employees and employers. As a result, retaining healthy, high-performing employees is even more important.
• In future, new stresses and pressures in the work environment will require employees to be even more resilient. Employers will need to introduce specialist training and wellbeing programmes to help employees build these skills.
• New jobs may require a greater variety of ‘soft skills’, as well as knowledge relating to new technology. Schools and training bodies should start developing these skills and employees should be taught to take responsibility for their own health, safety and wellbeing.
• Who takes ownership of risk is becoming increasingly blurred. Humans working alongside robots and across borders, in addition to diluted employment contracts (those operating in the gig economy) mean that government should update regulatory systems to protect modern workers.
• These fundamental changes to work and the work environment present huge risks to employers, employees, the economy and the environment. Further research is needed in this area.