Why We Are Asking: What’s Your Future of Work?
Convenience store chain 7–11 recently started testing new “cashierless” locations. Rutgers and NJ Transit plan to test self-driving shuttles on the road at Fort Monmouth. Artificial intelligence is transforming call centers.
Many sectors of the economy are transforming as a result of new technology, and these transformations are prompting people to think about the effects of technology on their jobs. In order to respond to workers’ concerns and hopes, government must first understand them.
That’s why, starting on Monday, February 24, the Future of Work Task Force is embarking on a robust public engagement campaign to learn more about how workers perceive the challenges and opportunities that technology presents. First, we’re using a digital “survey wiki” platform that allows you to choose which problems concern you the most. We’re focusing on three core issue areas:
+ Worker Rights and Benefits
+ Worker Health and Safety
+ Lifelong Learning and Upskilling
As more workers participate, the survey generates a ranked list of problems that working people in New Jersey believe are the most pressing. Subsequently, in March, we’ll be launching a second stage of public engagement, calling on workers, industry, and the general public to suggest innovative solutions to these challenges. The prioritized list of challenges, as well as the proposed solutions, will directly inform the policies and recommendations we pursue.
Why public participation?
The future of work raises questions about education, lifelong learning and training, wages, healthcare, and even surveillance at work. However, the influence of new technology is not necessarily harmful: it can also be used to make workplaces safer and create a supply of high-skilled jobs.
But when it comes to working life, policy makers aren’t necessarily the experts — workers are.
We believe people’s lived experience, family histories, and professional expertise are as valuable as governing experience, and the evidence shows that including the public’s perspectives can improve policy outcomes.
Even more, people trust and participate more in their government’s process when their perspectives guide decision making. With public trust in government near historic lows, we think it’s crucial to rethink how we approach including the public in the policymaking process, and reaffirm the importance of understanding diverse perspectives.
Workers know what it’s like to pursue job training, make a living as freelance workers or contractors, or choose between health insurance plans. That’s why we need to reach workers across diverse channels — labor unions, worker advocacy organizations, immigrant and affinity groups, workforce development centers, and more.
We’re aiming to make State government more accountable to the public, and we want this accountability to lead to more engaged New Jersey residents in the future.
We set up this process because we understand that the State government doesn’t have all the answers — or sometimes even the right questions. We hope you will help us get there.
Participate today, through March 14th, 2020, by visiting: https://www.smarter.nj.gov/fow/
