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.
An agreement was reached between the Italian telecommunication company Tim, the largest telephone group in the country, and the trade unions for 1,300 job cuts through a voluntary early retirement scheme by the end of 2021. The cuts would amount to around 3% of TIM's current 42,600 employees in Italy. The reason for the restructuring is the on-going digitalisation of the company. The company is trying to relaunch its business in a market hardly hit by the economic crisis from COVID-19.
A potential further cut of 178 jobs has also been agreed to be implemented by the end of 2023 through a voluntary layoff scheme.
Eurofound (2021), TIM, Internal restructuring in Italy, factsheet number 103920, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/103920.