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.
A chicken processing factory, Faccenda Foods UK will create 350 new jobs as a result of an expansion to its plant. The plant is located in Hortonwood in Telford, Shropshire. It produces chicken for discount grocery chains and fast food restaurants. The new plant is scheduled to be fully operational by January 2015.
The total workforce at the factory will increase from its current level of 450 to 800 workers by January 2015 in order to meet the increased demand fo chicken in the United Kingdom. The planned expansion of the factory is reported to include increased automation of processing which will, to some extent, reduce the number of new job opportunities. Nevertheless, by almost doubling the size of the current workforce, Faccenda will become one of the largest employers in Telford. In addition, there are plans to increase the workforce by a further 150 employees in the coming years, which would take it to around 1,000 workers.
The expansion of the factory in Stockport follows closure in 2008 of another chicken factory in Wiltshire owned the same company, which resulted in 380 job losses.
Eurofound (2014), Faccenda Foods UK, Business expansion in United Kingdom, factsheet number 77338, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77338.