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.
Asda has told more than 300 staff at a supermarket depot on Wearside that their jobs are at risk. A 'at risk of redundancy' notice has been sent to 315 staff at its Washington distribution centre, which deals with tinned and packeted foods. A 90-day consultation period has started and Asda says it hopes to find new posts for the staff in the company. The depot, where 737 people are employed, looks after medium and slow-moving food lines - produce which is not refrigerated. The company also has a regional distribution centre employing 505 people in Washington, which is not affected.
Eurofound (2005), Asda, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 61682, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/61682.