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.
Liverpool City Council is to cut 150 staff from its home care service. The city council says its in-house 'home helps' are contracted to supply double the amount of care currently needed in the community. It plans to cut 150 of its 400 staff but said no compulsory redundancies were expected. Letters have been sent out to the workers - who help with tasks including cleaning, preparing meals and personal care - offering voluntary redundancy. A spokesman said: 'A change in the emphasis of the work of home carers has meant that the number of people receiving long-term home care provided by the city council has gradually been reducing.' 'This is because all new cases are handled by the independent sector, which has more flexibility to handle calls at times when people who use the service need them.' 'The city council has a policy of avoiding compulsory redundancies when at all possible and we do not foresee anyone leaving who does not want to.' Redeployment opportunities will also be available, the spokesman added.
Update – On 2 September 2008 Liverpool City Council announced a second round of job cuts, with 125 of its remaining 256 'home helps' being made redundant.
Eurofound (2007), Liverpool City Council - Home Care Service, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 65496, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/65496.