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.
Fast-food restaurant suppliers EBG Bakeries has announced it is to close its Hemel Hempstead plant with the loss of 100 jobs. The decision follows the bakery being severely damaged in a blast at the Buncefield oil depot last December. Since the blast, staff have commuted to a factory in Manchester and Olen, Belgium, to maintain supplies. But the US-based factory owner has now decided to stop this, close the plant and make the workers redundant. A spokesman for the workforce said many staff are unhappy about the level of redundancy payments being offered and the lack of support with finding new jobs.
EBG Bakeries said in a statement: 'We have been pleased to offer our Hemel employees continued work on a rotational basis from both these sites, while still ensuring they receive their full pay and benefits.'
'We have also covered travel and accommodation costs and provided suitable transportation.'
'The company has offered positions to our Hemel employees at our Manchester and Olen sites and we are pleased to confirm that a number of Hemel employees are taking this opportunity and the company is providing a relocation payment to assist with this transition.'
The company said it had also provided all Hemel employees with full pay and benefits since late December despite them only working every other week.
'We have enlisted the support of the Hertfordshire Response to Redundancy Service who are supporting Hemel employees in looking for alternative work in the local area.'
Eurofound (2006), EBG Bakeries, Closure in United Kingdom, factsheet number 63926, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/63926.