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.
Car parts and bike retailer Halfords has made 126 staff redundant in Redditch, Worcestershire, after they decided not to relocate to a new distribution centre in Coventry. A wish to replace the workforce with new lower paid staff is being blamed by the workers. David Sawday, from Halfords said "We do accept terms and conditions in Coventry are lower, it is more competitive, it will be a pay cut and to acknowledge we did offer an incentive and we acknowledge it wouldn't suit everyone. But, we feel for the good of the company we needed this new distribution centre at Coventry." No information was given as to when to losses would occur or regarding how many are currently employed by the company.
Eurofound (2010), Halfords, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 70812, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/70812.