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.
Spanish life science company Grifols has announced that it will cut at least 165 jobs worldwide. The company has decided to liquidate its blood bag division in Spain and Brazil. In Spain, the company is to cut 165 jobs at its site in Murcia. The closure is to affect the blood bag business, which is very unprofitable for the company; the whey business is to remain operational. In Brazil, Grifols is in the process of liquidating the factory, but no information has been provided yet on the number of affected jobs. The programme will be negotiated with workers’ representatives. Representatives hope the company uses natural early retirement measures and internal relocations within the structure as much as possible.
Grifols has been operating since 1909. The company has four divisions: bioscience, diagnostic, hospital, and bio supplies. Currently, it has over 30 subsidiaries, globally employs about 24,000 people and sells its products in more than 100 countries.
Eurofound (2021), Grifols, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 106024, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/106024.