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.
The multinational parent of Irish DIY and builders' merchants businesses Brooks and Tubs Tiles has announced job cuts across Ireland. Builders' merchant Wolseley Ireland said that the construction slowdown had contributed to the job cut announcement. As a result, the company is going to cut 150 across Ireland, where it presently employs a total of 1,200 people. The company intends seeking both voluntary and compulsory redundancies, and is in negotiations with union representatives.
Wolseley owns a number of builders' merchants and DIY operations in 118 stores across Ireland, including Brooks, Heat Merchants, Tubs Tiles and Electric Merchants. It is owned by British-based Wolseley plc, the world's biggest distributor of heating, plumbing and related building products. The Wolseley group employs 75,000 people in total in 27 different countries.
Eurofound (2008), Brooks and Tubs Tiles, Internal restructuring in Ireland, factsheet number 66743, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/66743.