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.
ASR Nederland, a Dutch insurance company located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is closing its office in Leeuwarden and making employees in Utrecht redundant, leading to the redundancy of 230 employees.
The restructuring plan is affecting the mortgage branch of the company, and employees in its Utrecht as well as Leeuwarden offices are subject to redundancy. The background of the restructuring is the merger of ASR with insurance company Aegon in 2022. The Leeuwarden office is to close until 2026.
Trade union FNV negotiated with both ASR and Aegon to avoid direct dismissals as much as possible. The 230 jobs are to be reduced primarily as a result of natural turnover.
Eurofound (2023), ASR Nederland, Closure in Netherlands, factsheet number 200392, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/200392.