If you’re well versed in the world of work trends, you’ll know that for the last several years, a few trends have made every list, including the rise of the four-day workweek and the proliferation of remote or hybrid work. At this point, it’s probably safe to say that remote work is here to stay and a four-day workweek remains wishful thinking for most of us.
But what I’m interested in, having kept tabs on workplace trends for several years now, are the novel trends that appear to be emerging, like the potential rise in unionization or increased spending on mental health for employees. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at some of the workplace themes we’re seeing come to the forefront as we close out 2024 and start looking forward to 2025.
1. Addressing climate considerations
As I write this post, one of my coworkers is bracing for a hurricane landfall, and another is keeping a close eye on a growing wildfire. Climate-related events are on the rise, with 2023 setting a new record of 28 climate events, up from 22 in 2020. Those climate events will continue to affect employees, whether with extended power outages that impact offices and remote workers, or with storm damage that takes employees considerable time and resources to rectify.
Gartner reported, “In a Gartner survey of 300 enterprises conducted in June 2023, 37% of employers found that following environmental or climate-related risks there was a severe impact on staff displacement and productivity.” To try to alleviate those productivity problems — and to attract potential employees to roles at their companies — a growing number of employers have begun including climate considerations in their employee benefits packages.
These may look like developing plans to shelter employees in available company real estate in the event of a climate situation. Some companies are including monetary benefits or disaster supplies in their benefits, such as subsidies for short-term housing, relocation assistance, disaster-related leave, or stipends for specialized safety equipment. They might also make bulk orders of supplies, like bottled water or solar-powered chargers, that can be distributed to employees.
Additionally, employers could prepare to offer mental health support to employees recovering from natural disasters as a line item in the company benefits.2. Investing in mental health
While mental health support might be included in climate benefits, it’s also something employers are investing in for their employees overall due to a combination of factors. First, anxiety and mental health issues have increased since the pandemic, and second, the new generation of employees entering the workforce are putting a higher priority on mental health than ever before.
According to a 2023 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, “92% of workers said it is very (57%) or somewhat (35%) important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological wellbeing.” The same percentage of respondents said it was important for them to work for an organization that provides employees support for their mental health.
To that end, a report from the Business Group on Health found that in 2024, “77% of employers said they focused on improving mental health access.” Most employers were planning to do this through online resources like apps, articles, and webinars, while 63% of employers plan to work with their employee health plan provider to expand mental health access.3. Undergoing unionization
The last few years have seen organizing become more public, with Amazon and Starbucks employees working hard to form unions that would help them bargain for better working conditions, pay, and benefits. The overall number of unions or union members hasn’t increased through these more public situations, but unionization among younger members has.
According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), “Unionization among workers younger than 45 grew by 229,000 in 2023, while unionization declined by 38,000 among workers age 45 and over.” Moreover, those numbers don’t capture just how many employees want to join unions. The EPI noted, “Evidence suggests that in 2023, more than 60 million workers wanted to join a union but couldn’t do so.”
While unionization isn’t at the top of most knowledge workers’ minds, the concept of organizing for the purposes of collective bargaining is experiencing a resurgence. This is especially true among younger employees and might well be a trend that continues into 2025.Wrike takes the edge off
Wrike isn’t a substitute for mental health services, but using Wrike to manage your workflows can considerably lessen employees’ burdens. Wrike cuts out unnecessary emails and administrative work so employees can focus on meaningful, satisfying work.
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