For the first time in America women now outnumber men in the workforce

In a discussion of his new book, The Future of Work, author Richard Donkin said that the definition of work as something we would rather not be doing dates back to the agrarian revolution and “we are still trying to shake that off”

Whilst work looks like remaining a constant, changing attitudes, living patterns and technologies are transforming our relationship with it in such fundamental ways, says Donkin, that tomorrow’s workplace will be barely recognisable to that of our parents'.

Precise predictions area dangerous gamble and Donkin says he has stepped neatly around doing this in his book but promises readers themes which are important now and will change the way we work in the future. To this end he presents arguments for policy reform, which is needed now in what he sees as a period of transition as significant as the industrial revolution.

The themes that will shape the future of work are: demographics (the end of retirement); the feminization of the workforce (for the first time in America women now outnumber men in the workforce, says Donkin); and health, citing recent research which claimed that the healthiest quartile of the workforce was more productive by as much as seven hours a week than the least healthy.

“Not the most talented or the most qualified but the healthiest employees are the most productive,” said Donkin. Donkin was speaking at an event hosted by The Work Foundation.

The Future of Work is published by Palgrave Macmillan, £25.