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.
Constructor Norge, part of the Constructor Group headquartered at Høvik, announced at a press conference on 15th of April 2009 that the production plant in Hønefoss, which employs 110 workers, is to be closed down. The plant produces storage, archiving and logistic solutions for use in factories, warehouses etc. The decision is due to a need to increase efficiency because of reduced orders. The group wants to offshore production to one of its plants in Germany.
As the Norwegian law requires the company to negotiate with the employees and local authorities to find alternative solutions to redundancies and/or start alternative acitivities, a final decision is postponed for 30 days. The timeline for closure is unclear, as is the question of other job reduction measures. A few of the employees may be offered new jobs in the sales department at Høvik.
Eurofound (2009), Constructor Norge, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Norway, factsheet number 68704, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/68704.