What have been the most significant developments in HR over the last 50 years?

1970s a belief that legislation would change things - sex discrimination act, race relations act , Equal pay act etc. All promise but disappointing delivery. Strong trade union power and predominance of ER specialists in Personnel departments - rest largely admin and functional training 

1980s Thatcherism, recession, mass unemployment. Government targeting TU power. Start of decline in final salary pensions and job for life mentality. Movement to more a transactional employer/employee relationship. Rise of management training (and 90s) activity based. 

1990s Rise of HR Management and moving away from welfare role. Continued decline of Trade Unions. race away from final salary pensions in the private sector. Introductions of mainstream HR systems to allow greater data analysis and insight. Individualism rather than collectivism. Start of movement upwards (I think) in right to bring an ET case/unfair dismissal protection. Assessment centre selection and psychometric in vogue 

2000s Main influence of European legislation - WTR, Minimum Wage, Age Discrimination etc Blairism etc. Second round of belief that legislation makes a real difference but with more success this time. Mass migration and opening up of labour markets, skills shortages. Huge increase in graduate workforce leading to graduates (with debt) taking non graduate jobs. removal of compulsory retirement age and increase in state retirement ages radically changing long term nature of work

2010s migration , technology, Europe etc... Move to blended and more flexible learning solutions away from traditional classroom. Equality Act trying to bring everything together. Codifying rather than extending rights. HR as an enabler and architect rather than an owner.

1970s a belief that legislation would change things - sex discrimination act, race relations act , Equal pay act etc. All promise but disappointing delivery. Strong trade union power and predominance of ER specialists in Personnel departments - rest largely admin and functional training 

1980s Thatcherism, recession, mass unemployment. Government targeting TU power. Start of decline in final salary pensions and job for life mentality. Movement to more a transactional employer/employee relationship. Rise of management training (and 90s) activity based. 

1990s Rise of HR Management and moving away from welfare role. Continued decline of Trade Unions. race away from final salary pensions in the private sector. Introductions of mainstream HR systems to allow greater data analysis and insight. Individualism rather than collectivism. Start of movement upwards (I think) in right to bring an ET case/unfair dismissal protection. Assessment centre selection and psychometric in vogue 

2000s Main influence of European legislation - WTR, Minimum Wage, Age Discrimination etc Blairism etc. Second round of belief that legislation makes a real difference but with more success this time. Mass migration and opening up of labour markets, skills shortages. Huge increase in graduate workforce leading to graduates (with debt) taking non graduate jobs. removal of compulsory retirement age and increase in state retirement ages radically changing long term nature of work

2010s migration , technology, Europe etc... Move to blended and more flexible learning solutions away from traditional classroom. Equality Act trying to bring everything together. Codifying rather than extending rights. HR as an enabler and architect rather than an owner.

Epic, Keith

plus a huge shift away from the team to the individual, from what is reasonable to individual perception, and the biggest change probably from personnel to HR with all that implies.