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.
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has announced that it is to cut 287 jobs (60% of its workforce) in Maidenhead by the end of 2010. Staff at the site were told that production would be moved to Eastern Europe. The company has blamed the job cuts on the loss of some patents and on increased competition. The site is not unionised so consultation has begun with employee representatives. The company announced that it would do everything it could to assist employees affected by the job losses.
Eurofound (2008), Glaxo Smith Kline, Offshoring/Delocalisation in United Kingdom, factsheet number 66807, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/66807.