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.
Peta UK is a 40 years old family business, which produces knifes, scissors, and garden tools. The company joined the project "Made in Britain" in order to highlight the quality of its production. According to Genny Crockett, Managing Director of PETA UK, the backshoring from China allows an increased control over production. Following the reshoring, the lead time has been dramatically reduced and so has the size of batches. PETA works closely with Skar Precision Mouldings Ltd in Hadleigh, Suffolk. According to Brian McLellan, Technical Sales Director of Skar, Skar has been working with PETA for many years and has helped them to move production of some parts to the UK. Skar has supported several more companies to backshore part of their production from China back to the UK. According to McLellan, the backshoring had a commercial sense for customers.
Eurofound (2016), Peta UK, Reshoring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 169, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/169.