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.
Byron Burger, the British ‘gourmet’ burger restaurant chain has announced plans to close 31 of its 51 sites across the UK, making 650 jobs redundant. The remaining 20 restaurants and 551 employees will transfer to Calverton UK, which acquired Byron Burgers from administration. Several of the affected restaurants are already closed, because of the coronavirus crisis.
An administrator said the COVID-19 pandemic had a 'profound' impact on Byron Burger, but the sale would ensure that the company continued to trade.
A representative of Calveton said the chain was 'well placed to adapt to the new consumer environment' including by serving customers through digital platforms.
Byron Burgers was founded in London in 2007 and according to media sources, it was already facing financial difficulties when the pandemic started.
Eurofound (2020), Byron Burger, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 101820, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101820.