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.
Astra Zeneca announced on 1 February that it will cut 450 jobs at its plant in Södertälje before the end of 2007. Further dismissals could be decided within the company's global redundancy plan, which will affect 3,000 workers worlwide over the next three years. The drug maker, which is facing patent challenges and escalating generic competition, revealed the global redundancy plan as part of a 384 million Euro three-year revamp of its supply chain as it said that sales growth would continue at a slower pace this year.
However, on 28 April it was announced that the 450 affected employees might be offered a job at Scania instead. Scania recently moved some of its production from Falun and Sibbhult to Södertälje. However, after the relocation only 100 of the workers from the two affected units have started to work at Scania in Södertälje and the company is short of staff (Scania is creating 1,200 new jobs in Södertälje). Scania is therefore eventually employing new people and, as it was announced on 28 April 2007, the company will employ by the end of the year the workers who have been affected by restructuring at Astra Zeneca.
Eurofound (2007), Astra Zeneca, Internal restructuring in Sweden, factsheet number 64889, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/64889.