Report reviews the myriad forces transforming the workplace and formalizes Littler’s Global Workplace Transformation Initiative

(March 30, 2021) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has released the Inaugural Report of Littler’s Global Workplace Transformation Initiative. The report provides a detailed analysis of how the workplace is changing and addresses the litany of novel issues created for employers worldwide.

This is the first report from Littler’s newly formalized Global Workplace Transformation Initiative, which enables employers to capture the benefits of the technological revolution sweeping through today’s workplaces while mitigating the risks. The initiative, which evolved from Littler’s Robotics, AI and Automation practice group, integrates the full range of the firm’s global capabilities to provide the resources employers need to manage complex workforce issues and thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

“Employers are navigating a workplace transformation that rivals the Industrial Revolution in scale. The technological revolution that was underway before COVID-19 has been accelerated by the pandemic, as has such trends as the shift to remote work, the rise of the contingent workforce and the need for new skillsets in the workforce,” said Mickey Chichester, co-chair of Littler’s Global Workplace Transformation Initiative. “Through this initiative, we provide employers with a holistic solution that enables – rather than complicates – their transformations and proactively addresses the full range of workplace-related issues that could arise.”

The report serves a critical resource for organizations as they develop policies and best practices to succeed in this new landscape, including examining:

• The technology-induced displacement of employment (TIDE™) and the need to provide workers with the skills, training and resources to adapt, which is an area where Littler has long been a thought leader through its role as co-founder of the Emma Coalition.
    
• The wide-ranging legal and operational impacts of the move to more permanent remote work, such as deploying AI to augment recruiting, complying with state and local employment laws and tax-related issues when employees work from a state where the company does not do business, and data-security challenges. 
    
• The integration of robotics and automation technologies in the workplace and the associated legal issues, such as health and safety standards and employee privacy.
    
• How businesses are restructuring in the wake of workforce transformation.
    
• The evolution of litigation trends in an increasingly digital workplace.
    
• The importance of evolving approaches to improving inclusion, equity and diversity.
    
• The global implications of these significant changes.

“Regulatory uncertainty is too often a key barrier for organizations to implement change. We offer a unique platform from which to ensure the voice of employers is heard as workplace regulations are developed and to help clients shape the progression of transformation issues impacting their businesses,” said Michael Lotito, founding member of Littler’s Global Workplace Transformation Initiative, co-founder of the Emma Coalition and co-chair of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute. “Amid the changes brought about transformative technologies and the pandemic’s impact on how we work, it’s critical that companies, governments, communities and educators collaborate to ensure the world’s workers have the knowledge and skills to participate in the new world of work.”

Littler’s Global Workplace Transformation Initiative brings together the insight of the more than 1,600 attorneys across the firm’s global platform. In addition to building on the firm’s Robotics, AI and Automation practice, the initiative integrates numerous practice areas and capabilities involved in the transformation of the workplace, including:

• Business Restructuring and M&A
• COVID-19 Task Force
• Data Analytics
• Discrimination and Harassment
• Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Consulting
• Labor Management Relations
• Leaves of Absence and Disability Accommodation
• Staffing, Independent Contractors and Contingent Workers
• Wage and Hour
• Workplace Policy Institute
• Workplace Privacy and Data Security
• Workplace Safety and Health

About Littler

With more than 1,600 labor and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow.