Impellus is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Since it was first set up in 2009 by the Managing Director, Jon Dean, there have been seismic changes in the world of work and business. Below are some of the most far-reaching developments that continue to make a profound impact on our personal and working lives. 

Fifteen key ways the world of work has changed since 2009: 

1. Brexit

Brexit was a huge and unprecedented event in the world of work and business. The UK officially left the EU in early 2020 – continuing a period of anxious uncertainty that began with the referendum in June 2016. New trade agreements with the EU resulted in increased tariffs and trade barriers, while the anticipated medium and long-term effects of Brexit continue to be hotly debated. 

2. Equality Act 2010 

The Equality Act 2010 strengthened the legal requirement on employers to ensure they do not discriminate against employees, job applicants, former employees or contractors on the basis of a range of grounds including mental/physical disability, race, colour, religion, sex and sexual orientation.  

3. Covid pandemic 

By March 2020, following hot on the heels of Brexit, the Covid pandemic had swept across the globe having a severe impact on individuals, society and the economy. A series of country-wide lockdowns began with many businesses barred from operating and staff told to stay home with financial support from the government. Many businesses, particularly those in hospitality and tourism, struggled to survive while others made the most of new opportunities, for example in e-commerce and digital innovation.  

4. Flexible working 

Attracting and keeping top talent increasingly means offering flexible working – not only home and hybrid working, but various options such as flexitime, compressed working weeks and part-time work. The UK government is committed to protecting and extending flexible working rights with further measures announced under the Employee Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023. 

5. Remote working 

Official figures show that the number of people working from home peaked during the pandemic at 49%, compared with 12.5% pre-pandemic. 

Since this peak, figures have shown no clear upward or downward trend in homeworking so it looks like full-time and hybrid homeworking are here to stay. Some 28% of people now regularly work from home. That’s a real culture shift in the world of work 

Source: Office for National Statistics 

6. Gig economy 

The gig economy never seems far from the news – or controversy – these days. Online gig platforms such as TaskRabbit, Uber and Deliveroo helped to expand gigging opportunities, but legal wrangling soon followed with, for example, Uber drivers winning a long legal battle in the Supreme Court in 2021 to prove they were not self-employed and so entitled to the minimum wage and holiday pay. 

7. GDPR 

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into force in 2018 – as many UK organisations and businesses will remember all too well. The new requirements caused significant headaches for many companies as they scrambled to comply. GDPR continues to place strict limits on how personal information can be stored and used, affecting many aspects of business activities. 

8. Cybersecurity 

Cybercrime can be financially devastating for organisations of all types and sizes; it costs the UK economy millions of pounds every year and can also destroy a company’s reputation. As cybercriminals become increasingly sophisticated it has become crucial for organisations to remain ever more hypervigilant when it comes to ensuring cybersecurity. 

Source: National Crime Agency 

9. Environmental concerns/sustainability 

Environmental and sustainability concerns have become increasingly prominent since 2009. Savvy consumers want to ensure the products and services they invest in have genuine green credentials while organisations and businesses need to demonstrate they are complying with evolving laws and meeting their own self-imposed sustainability standards.  

10. Rapid technological change 

Remember fax machines? Apparently some are still in use… although the NHS was banned from buying them after March 2020 and told to use secure email instead. This is just one example of how much technology has evolved in the past 15 years. Other examples include the proliferation of online meetings; cloud computing; mobile technology; remote working collaboration tools; the expansion of e-commerce; and the hugely influential effects of social media. 

11. Online shopping – e-commerce 

The rise of e-commerce in the UK has been one of the biggest stories in the world of business. Figures for England, Scotland and Wales show a rise in internet sales from 6% of total retail sales in 2009 to 30.7% in November 2023. Internet sales peaked during the pandemic in 2021 at 37.8%. 

Source: Office for National Statistics 

12. Globalisation 

The interconnectedness of economies, cultures and societies across the globe has continued to grow in complexity since 2009, exemplified by the profound impact on the UK of the worldwide financial crisis in 2008 which led to austerity measures, financial reforms and bank bailouts – further complicated by Brexit. Globalisation presents both challenges and opportunities, from the globalisation of digital services; the status of the UK as a key player in international finance; global trading agreements and supply chains; and diverse and multicultural workforces. 

 13. Employee wellbeing 

In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on employee wellbeing, particularly post-pandemic. A 2022 survey by CBI Economics found that 57% of respondent firms had introduced access to mental health resources since the pandemic and 70% had given employees more flexibility to work in a way that supported their health and wellbeing. A 2022 CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) survey found that wellbeing activity is increasingly focused on mental health with most organisations taking steps to support mental health and address workplace stress. 

14. National Minimum Wage 

The National Minimum Wage, first introduced in the UK in 1998, has since seen stricter requirements placed on employers. In 2009, new rules were introduced preventing employers from including tips and gratuities when calculating wages and from 2011, employers who failed to pay the National Minimum Wage could be publicly ‘named and shamed’ by HMRC.  

15. AI 

AI has recently exploded onto the scene and is one of the biggest unknowns facing the world of work and business. Will it reduce the number of jobs available or create new ones? What about ethical and moral considerations? What exactly will AI be capable of? What training will employees need to ensure they understand how to use AI and maximise the potential benefits? How will it be regulated? The jury’s out on this one.Â