Grand Summary

    The five blog posts that I wrote this semester focused on three main topics, Balancing family and work, unhealthy/ toxic working environments and removing bias in Artificial intelligence. The common theme of these three topics is that they are all related to how the nature of work is changing and what that impact is on individuals and society.

The first blog post talked about the growing trend of the gig economy, which offers more flexibility and work-life balance as the top reasons why individuals choose to work in this sector. However, financial insecurity, lack of job security, and lack of access to benefits and retirement plans are major downsides to working this way. However, the gig economy is becoming more prevalent in Canada and is not limited to traditional gig jobs anymore, but also includes workers in various industries all over the country.

The second blog post discusses how mothers with young children are struggling to balance work and childcare responsibilities, and how remote work has provided them with more flexibility to juggle both. A survey conducted by the Women in Capital Markets Network a non-profit organization that promotes diversity and inclusion in Canadian financial institutions found that flexibility at work was a critical need for those caring for children under the age of 6 years old, and many women found remote work allowed them to do their jobs without sacrificing productivity. A study by the C.D. Howe Institute showed that mothers with young children faced more challenges re-entering the workforce than fathers and suggested equal parental leave time and simpler remote work options to help level the playing field.

The third blog post talked about the challenges businesses face in keeping bias out of the algorithms used in generative AI. Bias has been a persistent issue, often because AI is trained on skewed information using non-representative data sets because the developers that are creating these datasets are biased themselves. The blog post highlights the importance of embedding controls and governance at the start of the algorithm-building process and using better tools to track and assess bias throughout its lifespan.

The fourth blog post discussed a report released by the French publication "Le Télégramme" which indicated that Ubisoft the videogame developer had made little progress in addressing harassment and toxic workplace allegations despite the publicly stated actions taken by the company. Many of those that were accused of harassment still hold positions at the company and nothing has changed in Ubisoft's Canadian studio, according to the report. The blog post really emphasizes the importance of taking workplace allegations seriously and holding leadership accountable for fostering a safe and respectful workplace culture.

The fifth and final blog post talked about a recent study that was conducted in the UK last year, it found that a four-day workweek led to improved well-being among employees without affecting productivity levels at businesses. The study involved 61 companies with approximately 2,900 employees, and the businesses reported that employees used 65% fewer sick and personal days. The findings of the study suggest that implementing a four-day workweek with the same pay as a traditional five-day workweek could improve morale, reduce sick time and personal days, and potentially improve the productivity/profitability of a business.

Overall, the articles featured in these blog posts have provided an interesting perspective on how the world of work is changing. There seems to be an unspoken consensus that not all of these changes are good, and the positive changes are slow in gaining momentum. I personally believe things are going to get better at work as new unbiased technology emerges and workplaces become more flexible thanks to technology such as remote desktops, smarter AI algorithms and video conferencing.

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