Ethics in the digital workplace
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
Virgin Money, the British financial services provider has announced that it will reduce the number of its branches by 52 through closures and mergers, leading to 300 job cuts across the UK from August 2020. The restructuring was first announced in February and then suspended, due to the uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposed job cuts are part of the longer term restructuring plans to reduce the workforce following Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group’s takeover of Virgin Money in 2018.
A representative of Virgin Money said fewer roles would be cut than originally announced, because more staff were working from home and there was a need to retain employees in business banking contact centres to help small firms cope with the effects of the Covid-19 crisis.
Virgin Money offers a range of savings and investment products, mortgages and credit cards in the UK, South Africa and Australia.
Eurofound (2020), Virgin Money, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 101275, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101275.