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.
Somagic is a French company specializing in the manufacturing and sale of barbecues. In 2022, the company reshored part of its production to La GenĂȘte with the acquisition of a new machine. The company offshored most of its production to China and Asia in 2001 to meet market demands for cheaper products and then decided to enhance local production, offer more "Made in France" products, and limit reliance on Asian supplies for certain components. The company maintains its factory in China with a workforce of 200 people, as they have specific expertise that in France it does not have. The acquired machine enables laser cutting and sheet metal bending, tasks previously outsourced. The overall investment project costs 1.2 million euros, supported by subsidies from the Region and the State, totaling 460,000 euros. The new machine was expected to start operation in March 2022, offering the potential hiring of two to five people over the next two to three years.
Eurofound (2022), Somagic, Reshoring in France, factsheet number 266, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/266.