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.
The Swedish truck maker Scania has announced it will cut 5,000 positions world-wide from a total workforce of about 50,000. Of the 5,000 job cuts, 1,000 are planed at its headquarters at Södertälje (Sweden). The job cuts are related to the economic impact of the coronavirus. Scania faces a 41% drop in vehicle deliveries in the first half of 2020. The group has production facilities in the Netherlands, France, Brazil and Thailand. Scania's CEO Henrik Henriksson said in a statement that 'It will take a long time before demand returns to pre-crisis levels'. During the peak of the lockdowns in Europe, Scania said it completely stopped production due to shortages of components and disruptions in its supply chain. The group 'will strive to minimise the effects for our employees', according the employee representative on the Board of Directors. The restructuring will also involve the elimination of consultants. The aim is to transfer needed competence and skills to Scania’s permanent staff - which is part of a local collective agreement - 'in order to secure the company’s long-term survival'.The excess staff is mainly in the global sales, the service organisation, as well as the Head Office including research and development.
Eurofound (2020), Scania, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 101396, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101396.