What will the impact of the metaverse be on how people work?
The metaverse originated from the gaming industry but is spreading into an array of industries including real estate, commerce, retail and the arts. Although we are still at the very beginning of this technology, it has a number of implications for the concept of work and working life that were explored as part of Osborne Clarke's "Metaverse week" of webinars. As well as creating specific jobs, the metaverse has the potential to pose novel legal issues arising from the technology, including potentially the development of new legal concepts.
The concept of work in the metaverse (an individual as an avatar interacting with colleagues as avatars) may seem distant, especially as currently the metaverse is enclosed within particular platforms. But the end goal is that these platforms will all become interconnected.
Health and safety
Statistics published in December 2021 from the UK Health and Safety Executive releveled that there were 451,000 new cases of work related stress, depression and anxiety in 2020/21 and a high percentage of these cases were caused or made worse by remote working. The metaverse is essentially an extension of remote working, with the possibility of an employee spending the majority of their days immersed in virtual reality. If this is the case, employers will need be aware of the impact this might have on an employee's mental health.
In the UK, employers have a legal duty to assess the...
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