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.
Mulberry, the luxury handbag manufacturer, has announced plans to cut at least 350 jobs from its global workforce of 1,400 in response the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cuts are expected to affect all areas of the business, from manufacturing to head office roles. Most of the redundancies are expected to be located in the UK, where the company currently employs 1,140 workers.
In order to justify the jobs cur, the chief executive officer declared that the pandemic and the government mandated closure of retail had a 'marked effect' on sales and cost saving was necessary to guarantee the future of the business.
Mulberry has 55 stores in the UK, including concessions in John Lewis and House of Fraser shops, and 68 shops outside the UK, including in Canada and China.
Eurofound (2020), Mulberry, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 101307, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101307.