Four Workplace Trends to Watch for This Year

The new year is already well underway, and there are a number of new workplace trends in store for you. The world of business is constantly updating because nothing ever stays the same for very long, and business is a great example of this. In the past, the fax machine was all the rage, but it's almost obsolete these days thanks to email, Skype and a bunch of other new ways of communicating. Here are the four workplace trends to watch for this year.

It's Time to Bring Your Own Device to Work

More and more, bosses are letting their employees bring their own devices to the workplace. This means that mobile devices are popping up with greater intensity in cubicles and offices all over the country. For example, a study by Cisco revealed that bosses actually let 95 percent of their employees bring their own mobile devices into the workplace. Don't get left behind with this trend. It already seems that it's well underway, so you may as well join the crowd and bring your own mobile device to work.

Companies Will Do More With Less

It's no secret that many people in the workforce feel chronically overworked. This is naturally a problem as it can make you less productive and even begin to cause you health problems, both physically and mentally. Survey after survey feels that the average worker is feeling more overworked than ever. To start to combat this workplace problem, an increasing number of companies are attempting to offer programs such as wellness initiatives and even “telework” options to its employees. This is all meant to reduce overwork and stress among workers.

Employers Have to Look Elsewhere

Baby boomers are retiring in droves with every passing year, which will result in something of a worker shortage as time goes on. In addition, the workforce of many companies is aging, with many reporting that a lot of their employees are in their fifties. The implication of all this is that companies must start to look elsewhere for new blood. This means that businesses will look to part-time workers, people who work remotely, and even job shares to help keep their business running.

Parenthood Must Be Anticipated

It will be a good idea for more businesses to invest in parent support programs, especially since parents (especially mothers) tend to quit their jobs after their second or third child is born. Even more significant is a trend being reported from some companies, that employees can work as much as 10 years before even having their first children! You can bet that parent support programs will be springing up with greater frequency this year. These are the four workplace trends to watch for this year. If you can anticipate them, you can get out in front of them and allow yourself to take advantage of them instead of being caught off-guard. As further socioeconomic changes happen in society, even these trends will change in future years.