Without a toolbox to manage anxiety and adjustment disorders, many employees will struggle to navigate the amount and speed of changes that will be propelled by artificial intelligence in our workplaces. Whether it’s to ensure everyone’s mental health or avoid an explosion in long-term disability costs, companies benefit from equipping teams now.
The World Economic Forum predicts a major transformation of our working environments over the next five years. Artificial intelligence alone will force six out of ten earthlings to (re)train themselves in order to learn to do their job in complicity with IT.
At the same time, our mental health indicators are dark yellow. According to the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ), 38% of young workers report feeling moderate to severe symptoms of psychological issues.
The analysis of long-term disability diagnoses brings out two findings: the number of absences related to burnout is relatively stable. On the other hand, absences due to adjustment disorders and anxiety are on the rise.
Remember that according to the Employment Report of the Institut du Québec1absenteeism for health purposes has increased by 14% over the past five years, before the massive arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) in organizations.
Major Changes, Anxiety and Adjustment Disorders Don’t Mix
IBM has announced the loss of 7,900 type jobs back officereplaced by artificial intelligence this year2. Transformations are underway; the human and the machine are replacing the human (and not the machine which will replace the human). However, it will take fewer employees to generate the productivity we know today. The 296-page report on the future of work by the World Economic Forum (WEF)3 through representatives of 803 companies that employ more than 11.3 million people explains in detail that by 2027:
- 83 million jobs will be lost;
- 69 million new jobs will be created;
- 44% of workers will have to change expertise;
- 23% of current professions will be transformed.
Considering the issues of anxiety and adaptation already responsible for the majority of absences due to mental health and the multiplier impact of intense changes on these pathologies, will we witness a bomb of mass destruction in terms of health? mental?
Support the most affected employees
By comparing the professions destined to disappear and the new jobs that will be created, we can only see that the vases are not communicating (clerks laid off will not replace computer engineers overnight). The most accessible path for affected employees remains to boost their productivity through IT. Their added value will operate by supervising, validating and guiding the computer.
Professions destined to disappear: everything related to back officefor example: cashier, clerk, administrative assistant, bookkeeping.
New jobs created: artificial intelligence integrator, IT security manager, robotics integrator, IT engineer, business intelligence and e-commerce specialist and agricultural machinery operator.
When it comes to mental health, there are no simple, one-size-fits-all solutions. It is up to everyone to experiment and learn different tools for managing anxiety and adapting. The objective: to strengthen his individual toolbox to be ready at the right time.
The human is made strong. We have survived the twists and turns of the plague and times when life expectancy was less than 40 years. We recently went through a pandemic. It is obvious that we will be able to adapt to the expected technological changes.