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.
On 8th July 2011, the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota announced its intention to recruit 500 employees on temporary contracts from July 2011 to June 2012. The firm has recruited 500 workers on temporary contracts since January 2011 for the production of the new Yaris model after an investment up to 125 million euro at its plant of Onnaing near Valenciennes (North).
Toyota's CEO in Europe, Didier Leroy, said that one half of the 1,000 temporary workers who have been recruited recently could be employed on a permanent contract in the future. He also said it is still possible to produce a small car in France, despite the high labour costs and provided that there are changes to the organisation of work and the enginnering process, cooperation with suppliers and a lower costs for logistics.
Eurofound (2011), Toyota, Business expansion in France, factsheet number 72179, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/72179.