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.
Atento Teleservicios España, a call centre firm, has announced a labour adjustment plan that will affect 810 employees (around 9% of its workforce). The labour adjustment will be implemented in 9 Autonomous Communities, 12 cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cáceres, Córdoba, León, Lleida, Sevilla, Toledo, Valencia, Jaén and La Coruña)and 15 job centres. However, no job centre will be closed. The measure is explained due to economic causes. The company recorded economic losses equal to € 8.1 millions in 2013.
Atento was sold by Telefonica to a company linked to the North American capital risk firm Bain Capital in 2012 for €1,051 millions
Updated, 03/07/2014:The company has announced that the labour adjustment plan that will affect 823 employees (around 9% of the staff).
Workers affected are located in Madrid (187), Catalonia (156), Andalusia (144), Castilla La Mancha (92), Bilbao (69) and Valencia (67). Workers from job centres from Leon, Galicia and Caceres will also be affected by the measure.
Eurofound (2014), Atento Teleservicios España, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 77238, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77238.