This Preliminary Report is being released as part of Littler's Workplace Policy Institute" (WPI) February 12, 2014 Roundtable on The Future of the Workforce, How the Robotics Revolution Will Shape the Employment and Labor Law Landscape. The Report has been titled "The Transformation of the Workplace Though Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Automation" to reflect the convergence of multiple technologies as they jointly impact the workforce and redefine the workplace. The purpose of this  Report is to begin identifying the resulting "Employment & Labor Law Issues," crafting practical "Solutions," and anticipating and helping to direct "the Regulatory & Legislative Response."

Robotics is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. It has been estimated that by 2025, half of the jobs in the United States will be performed by brilliant machines and intelligent systems. Robotics is the next major innovation to transform the workplace, and will have as great—if not greater—impact on how employers operate than the Internet.  

So where does labor and employment law fit in? Creators and manufacturers of these new technologies must develop products that fall within the strictures of labor and employment laws. Demonstrated compliance will be a competitive necessity for developers that wish to market their products to liability-conscious employers. Moreover, many companies in this industry are new and small. Ensuring internal compliance with labor and employment laws will help keep the focus on their product as opposed to avoidable and costly lawsuits. 

Companies that work with the manufacturers and ultimate users of their products to integrate new technologies into the workplace can avoid liability by understanding and working within the confines of labor and employment law.  Additionally, all major players have a combined interest in keeping current on proposed legislation and regulations impacting their industry. 

Some new legislative and regulatory initiatives may have the laudable intention of bringing outdated employment and labor laws up-to-date with the new workplace, but can have unintended negative consequences. Other efforts will be more focused on special interests such as protecting certain jobs from the disruptive effects of robotics, AI, and 21st century automation. Such proposed legislation or regulations are almost always flawed in that they fail to recognize that technology creates new jobs and innovation in a global economy, and cannot be more than temporarily delayed.  Nonetheless, if legislation or regulations are going to be considered, employer organizations have a responsibility to make sure legislators and regulators are fully informed. 

The structure of this Report traces the changes that emanate from the introduction of robotics to the workplace and the resulting challenges this poses to current legal regimes.

To read the Littler Report, please click here.

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