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.
CCC, the Spanish Company engaged in the drafting and control of Facebook’s social network contents, has presented an Employment Restructuring File (ERE) to make 334 workers in its Barcelona premises redundant due to a significant reduction of activity in the last months.
The employment reduction will be solely focused on those working units managing Facebook’s contents in Spanish, French and Italian. The reason behind the internal restructuring given by CCC is a decline in the amount of work to be done. Trade Unions will analyse the documentation provided by the company and try to minimise the foreseen number of dismissals or, alternatively, try to obtain the maximum compensation possible. As of August 2023, it is not specified until when the redundancies are to be implemented.
UPDATE 20/08/2023:
The labour force adjustment plan (ERE) proposed by CCC in July has been ratified by 90% of the employees. There has been a pre-agreement reached and approved by unions and the company, reducing layoffs to 251 from 334.
70% of the employees affected by the restructuring will be assigned to the ERE on a voluntary basis, while the remaining 30% will be chosen by the firm based on the lowest age criterion. The affected employees will be compensated financially for 30 days per year worked, while a minimum compensation of 1,500 Euros is guaranteed for all. The employees affected by the restructuring will also have a preferential right to contract if the company creates new jobs.
Eurofound (2023), CCC, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 109331, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/109331.