The changing working life is an opportunity that must be seized now
There is a lot of discussion on the topic of work and changes in working life. In reality work itself is not changing, as work is and will be done in the future as well. Work environments are changing, however, as are the ways in which we work and where we work. The goal of working is changing and so must the way it is regulated.
By reacting quickly and flexibly to the changes in working life, Finland will be most able to benefit from the possibilities created by the economic upswing
Both working and having work done by others should always be profitable. Everyone should be able to self-employ easily and in a manner most suitable for them. The ways in which work is organized and done are changing constantly, which requires rapid changes to both the social security system and legislation.
The New Work Association wants to take part in the discussion on how both the legislation and the social security systems should be improved. It Is better to adjust the existing terms and conditions to change rather than force change into existing rules
The way in which we see working life – the required skill sets, what the work entails, the relationship between the employer and the employee and the actual meaning of working – is based on our past. Now is the time for a unified vision and decisionmaking that meets the demands of both today and tomorrow. The New Work Association wants to take part in deciding how we define work in the future and in creating a prosperous Finland.
Employment is a key factor in financial growth, the wellbeing of people and in the sustainablility of public economy
Political decisionmakers usually discuss the financial elements of work and deliberate the possible savings to be made if a certain procentual increase in employment is achieved. But working means so much more than that. Not only is it a means to an end but also a goal on its own. In the best possible situation, working creates feelings of success and pleasure. Employment prevents social exclusion and helps connect individuals to their surrounding society.
New phenomena call for new terms and concepts, hence light entrepreneurship
There are a number of phenomena changing the face of working life in addition to wage work, like self-employment, platform economy, sharing economy, working multiple jobs at the same time, hybrid professions and light entrepreneurship. These phenomena are characterised by the blurring lines between the employer, the employee and the entrepreneur. The transitioning working life creates new work.
The changes in working life are easily seen as a decrease in worker’s rights. Self-employment should not mean a decrease in rights but be seen as granting freedom to the worker
New work is flexible, enabling, networking, multiformatted, experimental and often includes working several overlapping roles. Workers of different ages and backgrounds should be able to work in a meaningful way, allowing for every kind of potential to be harnessed. The world of new work allows seamless movement over the existing boundaries of working life. New work is created if we are braver in trying and also sometimes failing, as innovation needs experimentation.
Self-employment increases overall employment and must therefore be recognised as a new from of work comparable to entrepreneurship and wage work
The terminology related to self-employment is unestablished and it does not conform to the traditional employer-employee division. Individuals working through invoicing services can be viewed as employees from a taxational point of view, even if they do not see themselves as employees.
Light entrepreneurship should be seen as a third option to entrepreneurship and wage work that brings a new dimension to working life. It allows working for individuals with no possibility for full-time entrepreneurship with its risks and obligations or for wage work with its rights and limitations.
Light entrepreneurship frees hundreds of thousands of Finns to work on their own terms without infringing on the rights of others. It is in everyone’s interest to allow the strengths and potential of individuals to be harnessed more effectively.