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.
Revoz, a car manufacturer owned by French Renault, announced layoffs of 450 workers in January 2022, to take effect in April 2022. It will be the second large layoff after November 2021, when the company dismissed 350 workers (see previous restructuring case Revoz-SL-2021). The decision is a consequence of the shortage of chips and production stoppage of the electric car smart forfour EQ, which will no longer be produced by Revoz. Since mid-April, the production will be reduced to one shift, meaning that the number of produced cars daily will decrease from 486 to 329. The production of two other models, clio and twingo, will presumably continue until 2024.
The company trade union is already involved in the preparation of the collective dismissal plan.
Eurofound (2022), Revoz, Internal restructuring in Slovenia, factsheet number 106264, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/106264.