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.
Coop Handel, a logistics company in the food sector, is cutting its staff in Norway by 350 full-time equivalents. The restructuring started in January and will be completed by the end of 2014.
The job cuts are the result of a restructuring process which includes a new centralised and highly automated logistics centre that makes current storage capacities.
Part of the reduction will be accomplished by hiring less temporary workers. Permanent employees will not be affected until fall 2014. Permanent employees have been offered severance packages and continuing education. Dismissals will be based on seniority, and permanent employees affected will mostly be young workers.
Union representatives in the company describe the dismissals as regretful, but say the process has been handled fairly and in cooperation with the unions.
Coop Handel is a subsidiary of Norway's largest cooperative Coop Norge, which is owned by 117 local cooperatives with more than 1.3 million members. Coop Handel handles logistics for the cooperative's 800 supermarkets and stores.
Eurofound (2014), Coop Handel, Internal restructuring in Norway, factsheet number 76827, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/76827.