New Work

The concept of New Work originated in the work of Austro-American philosopher Frithjof Bergmann, theorized in his book New Work, New Culture, published in the 1980s. In it, this philosopher develops a profoundly innovative vision of employment and salaried work.

A context of crisis and an opportunity to rethink work

Bergmann's thinking is rooted in the employment crisis that hit the United States in the late 1970s. As mass layoffs and restructuring increased the unemployment rate, Bergmann saw an opportunity to denounce the obsolescence of the wage model as it existed in developed countries. For him, the crisis highlights the need to reassess the importance of work, linking it to personal fulfillment.

Freedom reinvented

For Bergmann, the notion of freedom is not simply a matter of being able to make choices. The multiplicity of alternatives is only of value if it enables each individual to realize his or her full potential. In his view, it is this capacity for self-realization that truly defines freedom.

A new organization of working hours

Bergmann advocates a radical overhaul of work organization with his New Work concept. In his view, working time should be divided into three thirds, each responding to specific needs:

One third devoted to traditional work

Due to increasing automation and the structural decline in the job supply, Bergmann estimates that salaried work will only account for a third of available time.

One third dedicated to intelligent consumption or self-sufficient production

The second third of an individual's working life should be devoted either to intelligent consumption (e.g., reducing one's needs by optimizing the way one consumes), or to autarkic production, i.e., production carried out by the individual for his or her own account and not for that of an employer.

A third for personal fulfillment

The key to the New Work concept lies in this final third, devoted to projects that are truly meaningful to each individual. By fostering personal fulfillment, this time would strengthen people's commitment to their company.

New Work: a response to changes in the workplace

By redefining the place and meaning of work, New Work proposes a model that combines automation, personal needs and contribution to collective well-being. This concept remains an invitation to rethink our priorities and find a balance between productivity and personal fulfillment.