Conference 2023

The Work and Equalities Institute's fifth 'Fairness at work' conference took place in January 2023.

Fairness and work futures

Building on the four previous 'Fairness at work' conferences at The University of Manchester (in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018), the 2023 conference aims to bring together academics and practitioners to discuss strategic issues on the subject of fairness at work.

The last decade has seen a major shift in the environment of work and employment in terms of political instability and contradictory regulatory politics, as well as environmental sustainability and technological disruption challenges. Ongoing issues of equality, wellbeing and health have been increasingly laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and geo-political developments, while an evolving cost of living crisis further highlights issues of low pay, precariousness, and social protection.

These developments have reinvigorated debates regarding the role of the state with regards to the economy and employment relations both at the national and local level. Within this context the language of, and interest in, fairness and decent work has become more widespread albeit in an uneven manner.

Across issues such as equality, social inclusion, and wellbeing, for example, there are exhaustive attempts by public and private actors - and interests - to redefine and reshape the workplace and broader policy landscape, leading to competing sets of agendas and contested spaces. The future of work seems to be increasingly questioned in terms of the way fairness and decent work are defined.

Conference videos

Watch a selection of videos from the 'Fairness at work' conference.