Top 10 Most Important Workplace Innovations

In ancient Sumeria, dating to around 2020 BC, King Ur-Nammu outlined the city-state of Ur’s laws on financial compensation, and specific compensation was made to bodily workers whose bodies were injured. Similarly, in 1750 BC, the code of Hammurabi set forth similar rules, providing rewards for specific injuries, as did many other ancient societies, such as the Greco-Roman, Arab, and Chinese, some of which even provided specific compensation schedules and exact payments. Another big leap forward occurred toward the end of the Industrial Age, as countries like Canada and the United States paved the way for more progressive rules that better protect and compensate workers injured while performing work-related duties.

These social welfare payments made by governments are usually paid to those who are registered as unemployed and can prove they are actively seeking work. Depending on which country you’re in, these benefits can range from anywhere from a limited sum that will cover only essential purchases, to larger amounts covering entire days of lost income. The first unemployment insurance plan was established in 1911 with the United Kingdom’s National Insurance Act. It was introduced by the Liberal government to fight back against the Labour Party’s rising support among the working-class. Indeed, the Act remains popular among workers even today – as do similar programs worldwide – as they insure workers during sickness and in difficult periods.

One unfortunate side effect of the Industrial Revolution was that child mortality rates grew due to the use of child workers in dangerous factories and other hazardous sites. The United States was the first country to react to the mounting death toll. Though Britain created Factory Acts to limit the hours children worked, in 1836 Massachusetts enacted the first state child labor law. It was in 1938, however, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt finally passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, the first federal law to regulate child labor in the U.S. by setting minimum employment ages and work hours. As a result, child labor – at least in more developed countries – is now seen as a human rights violation.

In the early-20th century, though he wasn’t first to submit the idea, U.S. President William Howard Taft made public his belief that a healthy workforce needed 2-3 months off every year to cure the office blues and avoid burnouts. Unfortunately for Taft, the legislature thought otherwise. But Europeans picked up of Taft’s suggestion, and in the 1930s several European countries introduced paid vacation time for workers. Even today, EU countries are far ahead of North America in terms of paid vacation time, with countries like France, the UK and Scandinavian nations legally obliged to give upwards of 25 paid days off per year. The U.S. guarantees none.

In 18th century England, the Industrial Revolution created a massive increase in the number of laborers, many of whom were new to the workforce and some of whom were unskilled. Though attempts to unionize had been made earlier, the first true organization efforts came in the 1810s – though, at this point unions were still illegal, and remained so until 1871. But the organization only increased from there, negotiating fairer pay and better working conditions for their members. By the end of the century, nations like the U.S., France and Germany had followed suit, with labor or trade unions becoming a locomotive force of change in the life of the worker.

Maternity or paternity leave is a period of work leave – either paid or unpaid, but usually with guaranteed job security – given to parents after the birth of a child. Various countries around the world adopted such policies during the 20th century, with Sweden – for example – introducing maternity leave in 1937. In 1974, Sweden became the first country to replace maternity leave with a gender-neutral parental leave, so fathers could also opt to stay home with their families. The expansion acknowledges the fact that both parents play a role in the development of their children. Today, parental leave policies vary significantly worldwide, with Swedish law allowing up to 480 paid days and U.S. law providing none.

After decades of dedicated service, don’t you think workers are entitled to some financial comfort in their golden years? That’s basically the idea of a retirement pension, and today you’ll find that most developed countries do offer some form of it. It’s generally believed that the first pensions originated in Germany in the mid-1600s, where the widows of clergymen and later teachers received funding. By the end of the 19th century, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck of Germany pushed through the Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill, which originally set the age of eligibility at 70 and later 65. Though pensions are at risk due to aging populations, they are still a vital part of today’s workplace.

A business’ HR department has many responsibilities, including but not limited to hiring and all that entails, as well as employee relations and more. Its purpose is essentially to maximize output by keeping employees happy and thus limiting turnover. As was the case for many workplaceinnovations, the history of HR began during the Industrial Revolution. But it was 1913 before the Welfare Workers’ Association was formed in England, which was one of the first groups of its kind in the world. Since then, human resources management and employer/employee relations have changed; the modern HR department helps employees achieve self-actualization and gets employers to recognize employees as valuable human assets.

In mid-14th century England, the first laws regarding wages actually set a maximum wage. Fortunately, this was altered towards the end of the century, when the cost of food was used as a guide to establish a living wage. 1604’s Act Fixing a Minimum Wage made minimum wage official for members of the textile industry. By the end of the 19th century, New Zealand and Australia were enacting the first national minimum wage laws to aid workers in becoming more financially independent. The United States followed in 1938, and today – although minimum wage rates differ significantly depending on the country – this advancement increased the world’s standard of living and morale, and reduced poverty and inequality.

Before we unveil our top choice, here are some honorable mentions:
- Flextime
- Workplace Healthcare
- Telecommuting
- Affirmative Action

Can you imagine working a grueling 10-16 hour day in a dangerous factory? Six days a week? That was the reality for many during Britain’s Industrial Revolution. But thanks to figures like prominent socialists Robert Owen and Karl Marx, the 8-hour workday, and consequently the 40-hour workweek, eventually became a reality. Owen’s slogan read: “Eight hours’ labour, Eight hours’ recreation, Eight hours’ rest.” And slowly but surely, the legal length of workdays around the world shortened to 12, then 10 and finally to 8-hours-long. In fact, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that most industrialized countries began limiting the workweek to 40-hours and offering overtime pay for additional work, but without such laws we’re betting you’d be a lot more exhausted than you are right now.

Do you agree with our list? Which other workplace innovations should belong on our list? For more laborious Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.