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.
Northvolt, a battery developer and manufacturer, is closing its facility in Gdańsk, resulting in layoffs of 150 employees. The company is facing serious financial problems, which resulted in closure of the facility, the plans were announced on 22 Novembers. The factory, which took four years to be built, was opened only a year ago. The factory workers will be laid-off, but the Business Scaling Center (employs 64 people), which provides HR, IT, finance, purchasing and logistics services to the group's companies (located in Gdansk), will continue to operate. Affected employees will receive support through ongoing negotiations. Northvolt, a Swedish company established in 2015, specialises in lithium-ion battery systems and supplies clients in the industrial and energy sectors.
Eurofound (2024), Northvolt, Internal restructuring in Poland, factsheet number 202018, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/202018.