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.
Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch consumer goods and food company. According to the news, Unilever is undergoing a large re-organisation regarding its research centers. Part of this re-organisation is internal to the Netherlands. The Vlaardingen center will close while a new one in Wageningen is going to open. However, the re-organisation of R&D also involves units located in other countries. In particular, research centers in Heilbron (Germany) and Poznan (Poland) will close, while 250 employees are going to increase the staff in two British centers, near Livierpool and Cambridge. According to the press release, Unilever aims to increase the collaboration among different R&D units.
Eurofound (2016), Unilever, Reshoring in Netherlands, factsheet number 153, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/153.