Workplace trends of the future on clarkhoward.com

The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas has released several predictions about future workplace trends.

There's been so much talk about the idea of telecommuting, but so little action. Yet in the future, more of us will work independently and some of us will do so from home.

The only downside Clark foresees is that more of us will be contractors, especially with big companies and small start-ups. Most mid-sized companies will retain their regular staffs going forward.

Clark thrives on the kind of worker independence that Challenger is predicting. There was only one time in his life when he worked in a true corporate bureaucracy, and that was at IBM. His entrepreneurial spirit sometimes conflicted with the corporate world during his tenure there.

One serious implication of more contract work comes to mind: How will we provide healthcare in this brave new world? Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney took a lot of heat over his state's efforts to eliminate employer-provided healthcare. But the reality is that more people in Massachusetts have coverage than before, especially among the self-employed.

Returning to the Challenger predictions, more companies are expected to switch to 4-day workweeks. That would mean four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour ones. Wouldn't that be nice?!

What others are saying

Stupidity
During this show, Clark referenced a supposed "law" in France that makes it a crime to work more than 35 hours a week. He made mention that there's a police force that looks for people who leave the office with computers so they can arrest them, or some kind of nonsense. If he really wants to know the law in France, he can start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35-hour_workweek

Doing a Google search on French work laws would also be of benefit for him. You can plainly see it isn't a crime to work beyond 35 hours, only that more than 35 hours a week is considered "overtime", for which employees must be paid. This is simply a slight modification of our country's "40 hour" work week, after which employees must be paid overtime, unless they are exempt. Since the 35 hour work week was put in place 8 years ago, the standards have even been relaxed. So have no fear, Clark, if you work 36 hours in France no one is coming to arrest you.
By Mike @ 07/08/08 05:51:12 PMreport abuse
Telecommuting
I work for one of the biggest telecom/wireless companies in the world, we are issued lap-tops, and still not allowed to telecommute...go figure....
By Rosie @ 07/07/08 02:36:10 PMreport abuse
Already a home office contractor
Most of the work in my industry is intellectual property. I work from home and set my own hours.
As far as benefits go, contractors bill hire because of that cost transfer. We have BCBS of NC and for around 400 a month we have a 10k deductible HSA. It works because when spending one's own money, consumerism prevails.
Truthfully - when all insurance is bought out of pocket - it will get cheaper or go away. Then doctors will work out of your pocket and will become more reasonable.
Efficient markets have few pass throughs. Eliminate the insurance companies and medical costs will align to market demands.
By ConanTheLibertarian @ 07/04/08 06:08:48 PMreport abuse
Four Ten Hour Work Day
This concept should have been phased in decades ago. In the earely 1970's to cut down on polution and wasted time and today, of course to reduce income to people around the world that hate us.
Let's phase in the 55 MPH speed limit again too while were at it.
By Ken Johnstone @ 07/04/08 11:56:13 AMreport abuse
Already happening in Utah
Utah's governor Huntsman is pushing to have most state employees working four 10 hour days. It's not often when the private sector is lagging behind, but in Utah that will soon be the case.
By Tim @ 07/03/08 03:10:04 PMreport abuse

Stupidity

During this show, Clark referenced a supposed "law" in France that makes it a crime to work more than 35 hours a week. He made mention that there's a police force that looks for people who leave the office with computers so they can arrest them, or some kind of nonsense. If he really wants to know the law in France, he can start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35-hour_workweek

Doing a Google search on French work laws would also be of benefit for him. You can plainly see it isn't a crime to work beyond 35 hours, only that more than 35 hours a week is considered "overtime", for which employees must be paid. This is simply a slight modification of our country's "40 hour" work week, after which employees must be paid overtime, unless they are exempt. Since the 35 hour work week was put in place 8 years ago, the standards have even been relaxed. So have no fear, Clark, if you work 36 hours in France no one is coming to arrest you.

By Mike @ 07/08/08 05:51:12 PMreport abuse

Telecommuting

I work for one of the biggest telecom/wireless companies in the world, we are issued lap-tops, and still not allowed to telecommute...go figure....

By Rosie @ 07/07/08 02:36:10 PMreport abuse

Already a home office contractor

Most of the work in my industry is intellectual property. I work from home and set my own hours.
As far as benefits go, contractors bill hire because of that cost transfer. We have BCBS of NC and for around 400 a month we have a 10k deductible HSA. It works because when spending one's own money, consumerism prevails.
Truthfully - when all insurance is bought out of pocket - it will get cheaper or go away. Then doctors will work out of your pocket and will become more reasonable.
Efficient markets have few pass throughs. Eliminate the insurance companies and medical costs will align to market demands.

By ConanTheLibertarian @ 07/04/08 06:08:48 PMreport abuse

Four Ten Hour Work Day

This concept should have been phased in decades ago. In the earely 1970's to cut down on polution and wasted time and today, of course to reduce income to people around the world that hate us.
Let's phase in the 55 MPH speed limit again too while were at it.

By Ken Johnstone @ 07/04/08 11:56:13 AMreport abuse

Already happening in Utah

Utah's governor Huntsman is pushing to have most state employees working four 10 hour days. It's not often when the private sector is lagging behind, but in Utah that will soon be the case.

By Tim @ 07/03/08 03:10:04 PMreport abuse

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Jul 03, 2008 -- Workplace trends of the future

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