For this project, BETA collaborated with Safe Work Australia to adapt existing return to work materials for use by supervisors in Small and Medium Enterprises and undertook a literature review, stakeholder consultation, and data analysis.

This report outlines key challenges in organising working time in Australia’s current labour market. These include insecure, non-standard working arrangements; limited ability for workers to achieve optimal working hours; and the scale and cost of unpaid overtime.

A 'right to disconnect' could take several forms, and be implemented via different avenues in Australia. Based on international examples and the attitudes of workers in Australia, this report finds that implementing the right within the national employment standards would be the most effective.

London workers overwhelmingly disapprove of politicians urging people to not work from home too often, or suggesting those who do so are less hardworking, at the same time as over half say the cost of living is likely to discourage them from commuting into the...

With a novel methodology searching news events from world’s largest news agencies via the online GDELT project, this report documents protest of key workers against their working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in 90 countries.

This paper describes the trends, variation and determinants of wellbeing over the tumultuous period since COVID-19 first reached Australia and up until October 2022, with a particular focus on changes in economic wellbeing.

A growing number of Australian workers have responsibility for the care of someone else—perhaps children, an ageing parent or someone with a disability or chronic illness—while they are working. This inquiry is examining the ways in which the combination of work and care responsibilities is...

This report outlines how government organisations can strike a balance between wellbeing for government workers and productivity for economic benefit.

This report examines the pay practices and financial outcomes at some of America's best-known companies in sectors spanning retail, delivery, fast food, hotels and entertainment. Together, the 22 companies employ more than 7 million frontline workers.

This report proposes ten recommendations to accelerate progress on gender equality in workplaces and streamline reporting for employers to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

Precarious working arrangements, defined by temporary, casual and fixed-term employment agreements, are a complex, often hidden feature of academia in New Zealand. This report provides an insight into the reality of insecure academic work in universities from those who responded to the 2021 Precarious Academic...

This study demonstrates that while managers are becoming increasingly supportive of flexible working arrangements, managers and employees have different perceptions of employee productivity when work is done remotely.

In almost the blink of an eye, the COVID-19 pandemic changed shopping, dining, socialising, travel, and the world of work. This report chronicles changes in modern office work arrangements across government agencies and private sector companies in response to the pandemic. The report identifies challenges...

This book aims to raise awareness of modern forms of slavery and show that the persistence of this inhumane practice is a global problem.

In March 2021, the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces was established by the Australian government. Conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission and led by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, the review was asked to make recommendations to ensure that Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces are safe...

2021 marks the thirteenth annual Go Home on Time Day, an initiative of the Centre for Future Work focusing on overwork among Australians, including excessive overtime that is often unpaid. This year’s report considers whether home work will become the 'new normal' for many workers...

In February 2021, WorkFLEX started interviewing senior business leaders from around Australia, to ask them what the likely post-pandemic work arrangements would be for their organisations. This presentation presents a preview of some of the trends that have already been identified.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to large-scale and rapid changes in work practices, including a dramatic increase in the number of people working from home. This report considers how decisions about location of work will be made as firms and workers continue to learn how...

Creative New Zealand is seeking feedback on a remuneration policy to support the development of more sustainable careers for artists and arts practitioners. This draft policy proposes a set of principles aimed at ensuring fair remuneration for artists and arts practitioners for the work they...

The pandemic has shown that many workers can efficiently work remotely, with benefits for wellbeing and even productivity. This paper argues that the European Union should develop a framework to facilitate hybrid work.

This report seeks to better understand employees’ experiences of working from home during the pandemic – the benefits, challenges and future opportunities.

In this working paper, the authors argue that while COVID‐19 has been a crippling event, working from home has the potential to be an unintended positive consequence of the widespread disruption. There are benefits to the individual employee, to employers and businesses, and to the...

Following the recent United Kingdom's Supreme Court judgement on Uber’s employment model and the global legal and regulatory pressures on the broader platform business model, this policy brief explores the implications of these developments for work and productivity in the UK economy.

Insecure work is a reality for too many Australian workers. This report explores how the implementation of a portable entitlements scheme could improve the livelihoods of this growing cohort of Australian workers.

In early 2020, the NSW Teachers Federation resolved to commission an independent inquiry into the state of the teaching profession in the public schools of NSW and the significant changes that have affected the profession since 2004. This report outlines the inquiry's findings.