Digitisation in the workplace

The presence of innovation clusters that support innovation is an important enabling factor for the implementation of digitisation in the workplace. Good practices that highlight the business case and raise awareness about the opportunities that digitisation technologies can provide are critical to the higher uptake of new technologies.

The area in work most impacted by new technologies is task definition and content, with the Internet of Things (IoT) putting a greater emphasis on managerial and analytical tasks, 3D printing reducing physically demanding tasks, and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) either enriching or simplifying existing tasks. This drives the upgrading of skills and a rise in job discretion, mainly among managerial and engineering professionals, and less so for lower skilled and blue-collar workers. Public support in the form of funding, incentives and advice can help companies and smaller businesses with fewer resources to identify skills gaps and assist with measures to meet the skills required for digitisation technologies.

Management decisions play an important role in how digitisation technologies impact on work organisation and job quality. A digitisation strategy with a phased approach, based on experimentation and piloting underpinned by a high level of employee involvement in the innovation process, can contribute to more positive outcomes for both workers and organisations.

Social dialogue plays a critical role in digitisation at the workplace at many different levels. At company level, a digitisation approach that disregards employee participation and engagement will amplify negative impacts on working conditions. In the context of technological change, social dialogue also encourages greater acceptance by employees of new technologies.

IoT is the most pervasive of the three technologies examined, raising the greatest concerns when used for employee performance monitoring and requiring greater safeguards to protect workers’ fundamental rights. At European level, one avenue to address the issue of employee monitoring can be the EU social partners’ negotiation of a specific framework agreement on the collection and use of personal data in the employment context.