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.
Garland Call Centres has gone into administration with 1088 job losses across 3 sites in Hartlepool, Middlesborough and South Shields, effective immediately. Administrators PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) said that trading was no longer viable following the end of key contracts. Garlands has retained one contract and about 70 employees are to stay on to work on that contract and help the company wind down. A statement from Garlands said: "The appointment of an administrator follows decisions by a number of Garlands' largest clients to move their outsourced customer service activity to other centres, many in low wage countries including Asia and Africa."
It also lost many large broadband and mobile operator clients. Chief executive, Chey Garland said: "I am absolutely devastated by the course of events. The North East is losing a world-class contact centre business - one that took 30 years of hard work to build and just 18 months of economic recession to destroy. My heart goes out to all the people who have worked so hard to make Garlands a success and who will now lose their jobs and face hardship through no fault of their own. The management has fought tooth and nail to save the company and the support we've received from our staff and business advisors has been truly outstanding."
Eurofound (2010), Garland Call Centres, Bankruptcy in United Kingdom, factsheet number 70553, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/70553.