With the advent of new technology, the workplace is changing every decade, every year, everyday, right before our very eyes. Computers and other technology have greatly changed the way we interact, function and administrate in the work environment. In our everyday lives, the effects and consequences of these changes are clearly evident. In the factories that manufacture the clothes we wear and the cars we drive, machines have replaced workers in mass production. Instead of going to the bank teller, we can now withdraw money from ATM machines. Phone operators have become obsolete as automated answering machines now administrate collect calls. Secretaries have become expendable with the advent of voice-mail and e-mail. We can now buy or sell products over the Internet, no longer having to go through middlemen and salesperson. In the post office, machines sort mail and distribute stamps. On Wall Street, computers completely control the buying and selling of stocks. The effects of the increasing use of technology have completely changed the face of the workplace, in every sector, affecting every individual.

Some Interesting History

Trend Shift to mechanized/electronic form of manufacturing Nontraditional work environments (telecommuting)
Implications  -complex training required
 -decreased employee/labor costs
 -increased capital costs		 -extended work hours
 -auto accidents (when doing transactions in car, ie. car phones, laptops)
 -increased stress
 -more efficient use of time