Work Different

Epilogue: The End and The Beginning

Say Goodbye to Yesterday

In 2020, we found ourselves dealing with a devastating global pandemic that permanently altered the way we work.

In 2022, we found ourselves with easy access to Gen AI that permanently altered the way we work.

In 2023, we found ourselves writing this book, a book that—we hope—just might alter the way we work.

Without these monumental events, Team Mercer probably wouldn't spend this much time discussing The People Age, let alone waxing lyrical about how these truths might play out.

Many of the truths in this book emerged due to these two monumental events that bookend our insights: a pandemic that forced us to evaluate our lives and a technological revolution that gave us a glimpse into our futures. And while neither a new virus nor a new technology fully accounts for the shift in work experiences and outlook, they did remind us that the world of work isn't (and hasn't been) working for all of us for quite some time.

But a new way is emerging. You've just read 200‐plus pages of proof.

The People Age demands a greater focus on people sustainability, specifically, the long‐term well‐being and development of individuals within our organizations and our communities. Get this wrong and we'll be stuck in a constant cycle of churn and burn. Get this right and we’ll fuel our businesses and economies for what comes next. Delivering on people sustainability involves creating an environment that nurtures and supports the physical, ...