UK employers failing to prepare staff for automation, new research shows

A third of workers feel their job will be automated within the next decade

Young workers fear automation more than most (AFP)

UK employers are failing to prepare their staff for the impact automation will have in the workplace, new research shows.

A third of workers feel that their job will be automated within the next decade, while one in 10 fear they will lose their jobs to automation within two years, according to payroll firm ADP.

Half of those who feel they are at risk because of automation say their employer has yet to reskill them.

Younger workers are more concerned about automation than any other group, with just under half of workers aged between 16 and 35 fearing for their jobs in the next 10 years.

Anxieties about automation are heavily focused in London, where 46 per cent of workers worry about robots – more than anywhere else in the UK.

“Automation may seem like an issue for future generations, but our findings show that machines could replace thousands of employees in as few as five years,” says Jeff Phipps, managing director at ADP UK.

He said automation could also provide new roles that were not currently available despite the distinct possibility of jobs being made redundant by automation.

“By starting to upskill and retrain workers now, employers can ensure they and their employees are as ready as possible to work side-by-side with the machines,” said Mr Phipps.