newwork

Newwork, often written as newwork or New Work, is a term used to describe a set of ideas and practices about how work should be organized and experienced in contemporary economies. It emphasizes autonomy, meaningful activity, and social value, rather than only maximizing economic output or adhering to traditional employer-employee arrangements. The concept is associated with the broader movement toward human-centric, participatory forms of work that seek to align labor with individual potential and purpose.

The term is most closely linked to the work of Frithjof Bergmann, who introduced the ideas in the 1980s as a critique of conventional wage labor and a proposal for a reimagined social order in which people pursue work that resonates with their inner vocation. Key proposals included creating spaces—often through small communities or cooperatives—where people can organize, collaborate, and share resources to produce work that feels meaningful, with time reserved for education and personal development.

Core features of newwork include a focus on autonomy over projects, democratic participation in decision-making, and the pursuit of work that aligns with individual talents and values. In practice, newwork is often realized through self-employment, cooperative ventures, portfolio careers, freelancing, and networks that enable collaboration without traditional hierarchical employment. The rise of digital tools, coworking spaces, and platform-enabled collaboration has also fed into contemporary interpretations and applications of the concept.

Modern usage varies: some describe newwork as a philosophical framework for workplace redesign, while others use the term in branding to signal flexible, learner-centered work cultures. Critics caution that meaningful, self-directed work may not be accessible to all, highlighting the need for social protections and inclusive policies.

Related topics include flexible work, remote work, the gig economy, human-centric management, and social entrepreneurship.