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.
Littlewoods Shop Direct Group, the catalogue shopping business of the group Littlewoods, has announced that it is to cut 1,200 jobs. Three warehouses in Eccles, Wigan and Worcester will be closed by next year. The Liverpool firm, which is owned by the Barclay brothers, blamed the closure on 'excess capacity' in warehouse operations. A spokesperson said the company hoped to relocate 300 of the staff to Oldham, where the firm is moving its warehouse operations. Val Pugh, national officer at Usdaw, the retail workers' union, blamed a lack of investment by the company's former owner, GUS, and deterioration of the home shopping market. 'Over the years there has been a lack of investment by GUS and a catalogue of errors by different managements that has been a contributory factor to these proposed closures.'
Eurofound (2006), Littlewoods, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 63482, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/63482.