Report
Fewer hours and higher wages – or more burnout and surveillance: employers told to prepare for AI
Australia's workplace relations minister launched a government best-practice guide on AI in the workplace, urging employers to involve workers in planning and to avoid risks such as intrusive surveillance, poor rostering and heightened performance pressure. The guide suggests AI could boost productivity and even wages or enable shorter, more flexible hours, but warns automation could disproportionately affect younger and older workers, women, First Nations people and people with disabilities. With major firms like Qantas and Canva cutting staff amid AI-driven restructures, officials say workers must be consulted and given opportunities to move into new roles and build new skills, while questions remain over who benefits from automation.
