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.
French mushroom producer France Champignon is to cut 150 jobs with the closure of its canning plant in Beaufort-en-Vallée, Maine-et-Loire. The closure, scheduled in two phases (May-June 2010 and October 2011), stems from severe financial difficulties suffered by the group over recent years. 1,000 jobs have been canned over six years of substantial restructuring (see related factsheet). Alain Chamla, Director of France Champignon blamed German consumers for turning away from French mushrooms in their droves and thereby reducing export demand, explaining that the group plans to sacrifice Beaufort-en-Vallée in order to champion its three remaining plants.
Eurofound (2010), France Champignon, Closure in France, factsheet number 70372, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/70372.