Report Explores the Myriad Issues Related to Technology-Induced Displacement of Employees (TIDE)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 18, 2018) – Littler and Prime Policy Group are pleased to announce the release of their report, “The Future is Now: Workforce Opportunities and The Coming TIDE.” The report explores trends related to the technology-induced displacement of employees (TIDE) and provides recommendations for how the public and private sectors can respond to the coming changes brought on by automation and rapidly changing technology.
"Many of the jobs that will employ our children and grandchildren have yet to be created," said Michael Lotito, co-chair of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute. "Our work for the past year has focused on helping job creators and government officials begin planning for the future and the technology-induced shockwaves that will change the future of employment.”
Building on Littler and Prime’s Future Workforce Roundtable last year – which brought together leading figures in industry, government and academia to discuss the dramatic impact of robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies on the workplace – this report discusses how to recognize, prepare for and confront changes caused by TIDE. The report also lays out a practical roadmap for how the public and private sectors can work together to prepare the American workforce for these changes, how automation will impact different classes of workers and how the American economy should be inoculated to prepare it for these disruptions.
Automation is expected to displace or force hundreds of millions of workers to transition to new occupations in the short-term, with historic productivity increases leading to lower costs for consumers and spurring a greater demand for labor in the medium- and long term. Martin Feldstein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Reagan, discussed the impact of technological change on the labor market in a recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal arguing that the Federal Reserve cannot offset job losses from AI and robotics with monetary policy. The report from Littler and Prime makes the case that American employers will have to radically change their approach to talent planning, implementing lifelong learning and training programs, and placing TIDE-related issues at the forefront of their interactions with policymakers.
Charlie Black, Chairman of Prime, noted that while there is a general understanding that work and the workplace are changing because of technology, “most employers and policymakers lag in making adjustments and planning for a new reality. This report shines a light on the promise and perils of automation for workers, employers and society and makes it clear that the country cannot afford to put off thinking about these issues any longer.”
About Prime Policy Group
We solve problems and build brands with policy expertise, strategic relationships, and respected capabilities in Washington and around the world.
We have earned a unique reputation for shaping public affairs. We pioneered the bipartisan approach to problem solving, just as we were among the first firms to develop an international footprint to tackle issues in the global marketplace.
Today, with a team of political, legislative and regulatory experts are trusted counselors to corporations, associations, domestic and foreign governments, and political candidates. Working together, we overcome the most challenging obstacles to influence outcomes, create opportunities and achieve policy objectives on behalf of our clients.
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About Littler
Littler is the largest global employment and labor law practice, with more than 1,500 attorneys in over 80 offices worldwide. Littler represents management in all aspects of employment and labor law and serves as a single-source solution provider to the global employer community. Consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, Littler has been litigating, mediating and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record for more than 75 years.
About Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute®
WPI™ engages with Congress, the executive branch and the courts on critical employment, labor and benefits issues. Created to be an effective resource for the employer community to engage in legislative and regulatory developments that impact their workplaces and business strategies, WPI harnesses the deep subject-matter knowledge of Littler to ensure that policymakers in Washington and around the country hear the voice of employers.
About Littler’s Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation Practice Group
Attorneys in Littler’s Robotics, AI, and Automation Practice Group regularly advise employers in the technology sector and employers that are integrating technological advances into their workplaces to help them navigate the complex and evolving terrain of employment and labor law.
