Future of Work and Work Systems: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Designing Smart, Safe, Healthy and Ethical Work in Financial Services

Abstract

New technologies are being introduced to support the future of work in Financial Services (FS). This paper reports on human factors action research pertaining to the specification of a ‘proof of concept’ for a future ‘Intelligent Work’ (IW) system—predicated on advances in business process automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. It is argued that IW technologies should enable work that is smart, healthy, safe, and ethical. The implementation of IW technologies will be underpinned by positive change in relation to supporting wellbeing culture in financial services, and the integration of previously diverse processes and functions pertaining to business process management, customer services, human resources, occupational health and safety/health protection and health promotion.

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Personae and Scenarios

#	Role	Sub role	Personae	Scenario
1	Operations manager	N/A	Michelle	Michelle reviews team productivity. Michelle forecasts workload for next week and reassigns team priorities and work items in line with SL schedule. Michelle discusses work plan with Shona and other team supervisors. This week, need to involve third party company—new team members
2	Team Supervisor	N/A	Shona	Shona assesses team workload for today. Shona onboards Jenny. Shona allocates work to the team—Bob, Jenny & Sam. Shona flags issues with Bob’s performance with Michelle & Paul
3	Team Members	Human role 1—established in team	Bob	Bob is working from home. Bob reviews job items for the day. Bob evaluates own performance. Bob starts work item and requests assistance
		Human role 2—new in team	Jenny	Jenny is working with teams in different time zones. Jenny requests reconsideration of her weekly workload, following review of team assignments. Jenny evaluates her own performance
		Human role 3—3rd Party	Sam	Sam is working for a third-party company in Poland. Sam is working on Shona’s assignments today
		Robot: Team Member/basic tasks	Zari	Zari prompts Shona that Bob’s work is not done and takes over on task (with Bob permission)
		Robot: Task assistant	Mike	Mike provides task support in relation to a mortgage application for Jenny
4	Customer	N/A	Clare	Customer submits enquiry information. Bob processes query. Zari completes query
5	HR Resource Manager	N/A	Paul	Onboarding Jenny. Wellbeing and Performance Check-in with Bob
6	Change Manager	N/A	Evelyn	Managing transition to Allocate (Gen 2) and My Work
7	CEO	N/A	Kirk	Kirk reviews business performance
8	Regulator	N/A	Silvia	Oversight on claims process—regulatory context

1.2 Intelligent Work States (Team Member)

1: States to promote/support	2: States to manage/mitigate/reduce	3: States to avoid
Understands role and how links to business goals		Lack of understanding of role and how links to business goals
Understanding of work schedule and deadlines		Lack of understanding of work schedule and deadlines
Identity in work		Loss of identity. Objectification of worker
Professionalism	Challenges to professionalism	Lack of professionalism
Autonomy in work		Loss of autonomy
Feel in control of work and the workday (autonomy and flexibility over the timing, location, pace, and order of work)		Loss of control
Confidence in ability to self-manage work and workload
Flow and attention	Distraction	Lost or confused
Wellness in work Psychological wellbeing in work	Working overtime/long hours Working in continually high stress situations Work related stress (WRS) Anxiety in work Pressure Poor mental health in work	Worsening of health in work Work contributing to health problems Poor mental health Presenteeism Absenteeism
Self-management of health in work Self-efficacy		Post-neurotic subject at work
Flow and attention	Distraction	Lost or confused
Wellness in work Psychological wellbeing in work
Fit for work (fatigue levels)	Fatigue Working overtime/long hours	Exhaustion & Burnout
Work/life balance and management of home/work interface		No work/life balance Work negative impact on home life Work/home conflict
Effective performance	Performance errors	Performance Errors
Safe performance	Unsafe behaviour Near misses (safety events) Minor safety events	Safety events Incidents and accident in work
Work satisfaction	Work dissatisfaction	Attrition
Motivation Engagement in work Positive attitude to work Wake up—want to go to work!	Lack of engagement with work Demotivated	Active non engagement with work Toxic employee
Delivering quality work		Mistakes and/or poor-quality work
Valued member of team		Not accepted in team Not wanted in team Team members avoid
Teamwork	Poor teamwork	Team disputes and unhealthy teamwork
Good communication with team supervisor about status of work/workload	Not putting hand up if problem
Sense of purpose and meaning in work Sense of value	Lack of purpose/meaning/value	Loss of purpose/meaning/value
Sense of belonging	Not feeling in a team Social isolation	Not feeling in a team Social isolation
Dignity		Objectification of worker/Commodity
In control		Post-neurotic subject at work—monitored and objectified by employer
Nurtured/supported—role, career path and progression		No support for progression
Growth and continuous learning Self-realization in work		No progress Inertia
Feeling listened to		Not listened too
Good customer service		Poor customer service
Trust	Cynicism, lack of trust and/or loss of trust	Loss of trust
Acceptance of work technologies
Understanding of who has access to performance information and how used
Understanding of who has access to health information and how used
Consent to work performance information to be tracked
Consent to health information to be tracked while in work
Peace of mind/job security		Job instability and insecurity Anxiety

1.3 Intelligent Work States (Team Supervisor)

1: States to promote/support	2: States to manage/mitigate/reduce	3: States to avoid
Understands role and how links to business goals	Poor understanding of role	Lack of understanding of role and how links to business goals
Understanding of work schedule and deadlines	Poor understanding of work schedule and deadlines	Lack of understanding of work schedule and deadlines
Understanding of work priorities	Poor understanding of work priorities	Lack of understanding of work priorities
Understanding of forecasted assignments and workload for team/team members	Poor understanding of forecasted assignments and workload for team/team members	Lack of understanding of forecasted assignments and workload for team/team members
Understanding of status of current work- on track/not on track to meet deadlines	Poor understanding of status of current work- on track/not on track to meet deadlines	Lack of understanding of status of current work- on track/not on track to meet deadlines
Understanding of status of team members—workload, wellbeing, fatigue, MH in work	Poor understanding of status of team members—workload, wellbeing, fatigue, MH in work	Lack of understanding of status of team members—workload, wellbeing, fatigue, MH in work
Understanding of team members competency, skills, expertise	Poor understanding of team members competency, skills, expertise	Lack of understanding of team members competency, skills, expertise
Understanding of balance of work for team members—workload, interesting tasks, mundane tasks etc	Poor understanding balance of work for team members—workload, interesting tasks, mundane tasks etc	Lack of understanding of balance of work for team members—workload, interesting tasks, mundane tasks etc
Listening to team members—if problems, if need help	Poor or weak listening to team members—if problems, if need help	Lack of listening to team members—if problems, if need help
Responding to team members—if problems, if need help	Poor response to team members—if problems, if need help	Lack of response to team members—if problems, if need help

1.4 High level Functions and Wellbeing/Workplace Health

1: Maintaining wellbeing	2: Preventing WRS/wellbeing problems	3: Managing worker problems/challenges
Provide task support information	Nudge managers—if somebody overworked- contribute to stress	Reporting/analytics on problems at team/individual level
Smart allocation-right work, competency, right level of diversity/complexity	Smart allocation—deal with peaks and troughs	Integration of reporting with smart allocation
Nudge team members to get help—having work related or personal issues
Nudge breaks
Nudge on social interaction