Resource type: Report
The Cumberland Lodge Report, Working Identities, sheds light on the rapidly changing world of work and its wide-ranging impacts on individuals and wider society.
It focuses on how work impacts on peoples’ identities and sense of belonging, by addressing five key areas of working life – ‘working-class’ identities, ‘precarious’ work and young people, digital revolutions (including digitalisation and automatisation), meaningless (‘bullshit’) jobs, youth unemployment and worklessness – as well as exploring the impacts of structural discrimination.
The report draws on the collective wisdom and experience of trade union representatives, working rights campaigners, academics, non-governmental organisations, policymakers and community practitioners.
Working Identities report launch
The Working Identities report was launched with a panel discussion at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Westminster, on Thursday 28 November 2019, with guest panellists Kate Bell (Trades Union Crongress), Professor Jackie O’Reilly (University of Sussex) and Mark Littlewood (Institute of Economic Affairs).
The author of the report is Dr Eva Selenko (Loughborough University). Cumberland Lodge commissioned her to support this 12-month project as a freelance Research Associate.
Download
Download a digital copy of the report from the bottom of this page.
Recommendations
Key recommendations, expanded on in full within the report, include:
- Move away from class-based identities in public discourse.
- Put in place the right legislation and offer more inclusive communities for positive working-identity development in digital workplaces.
- Create the right opportunities for people currently excluded from getting into work.
- Support workers experiencing changes due to digitalisation and automatisation.
- Ensure inclusivity at work and beyond, by tackling discrimination through legislation and community structures.
- Re-think public procurement, digital ownership and taxation, to ensure that profits stay in the local community.