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.
Makro, a chain of large retail stores with six units in Belgium, has announced it will not renew contracts of approximately 200 of its temporary employees. The company management is seeking to cut back on costs as the chain is faced with significant losses. In addition some changes will be introduced in different stores, including self-scanning checkouts.
Throughout the weeks following the announcement there were strikes in different stores of the chain. Trade unions state that the restructuring plans were embarked upon without consultation and that company management is not willing to negotiate with them regarding the changes they propose and the termination of the contracts.
Eurofound (2020), Makro, Internal restructuring in Belgium, factsheet number 102068, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/102068.