Transformation and digitalisation of work

The transformation and digitalisation of work are key phenomena in Finnish working life, and their impacts are significant. Working life is undergoing the biggest change in decades, with work becoming more independent, immediate management becoming more individual, and the pandemic accelerating digitalisation. Working remotely exclusively can, if prolonged, exhaust even the most skilled person, and digitalisation has accelerated continuous learning at work.

The current transformation of working life challenges us in a new way

The transformation of working life is hardly a new phenomenon, but the current transformation challenges people in a unique way. For example, in 1920, about 70% of the Finnish population made their livelihood in agriculture, compared to 3.4% in the 2020s. In addition to the various pressures of working life, people’s minds are under pressure from many directions. Factors producing psychological stress include climate change, automation and digital development, the uncertain situation around the world and global pandemics.

As a result of digitalisation, many of us may have encountered the word 'technostress' in our workplace. Technostress arises from the interaction between humans and the IT system and can lead to an increase in biomarkers associated with stress in the body, such as increased cortisol levels. Technostress is linked to poorer mental health and burnout.

For this reason, employers should pay attention to the fundamentals of change management, in terms of technology as well, and understand people’s ability to accept and handle change. The workplace and teams should agree on common ways of working and different systems to be used to better manage the flood of information. It is also appropriate to discuss working hours and when to use particular work channels.

Transformation of working life challenges managers and supervisors

The transformation of working life requires managers and supervisors to develop new abilities and skills, such as cognitive abilities, interpersonal skills, business skills and strategic skills. With regard to coping at work, the skill of self-management is emphasised, especially in supervisory work, as more and more supervisors feel that they are suffering from symptoms of fatigue. In addition to self-management skills, supervisors also need the support of their own supervisor and employer. Supervisory work, leadership and corporate culture should develop in a changing world, enabling reasonable and achievable work and tasks.

If working life is challenging to managerial staff and supervisors, it is also challenging to individuals. We are all increasingly required to cope with change, which means flexibility, the ability to learn, resilience, initiative and innovation. The ability to tolerate uncertainty is also emphasised.

Occupational health care specialists can support companies in the middle of the transformation of work by offering continuous and close dialogue with the company and identifying individuals' symptoms as early as possible. Occupational health care is tasked with treating the root causes of the symptoms, whether they lie in the individual, the community or the organisation. It is important to remember that the transformation of work also offers opportunities, and occupational health care can be an important partner for companies and employees in the middle of change.

The article was written on the basis of the Transformation and digitalisation of work section of Mehiläinen's webinar series Occupational health care cooperation - a necessary evil or an opportunity?