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.
Professional services group, Deloitte has announced that it will create 338 new jobs in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The jobs will be technology, finance and consulting and will be high quality jobs, having starting salaries of around £30,000 (€37,656). Jackie Henry, senior partner at Deloitte Belfast, said Belfast was selected as the location for major expansion despite considerable competition from across the UK and other global sites. Mr Henry attributed the fact that Deloitte Belfast being a centre of excellence for technology, pensions and actuarial consulting, finances and tax services as among the factors that weighed in favour of the decision to expand in Belfast. Deloitte will receive more than £3.3 million (€4.14 million) in assistance from Northern Ireland’s government agencies, with the company reported as stating that support from the government was also a key factor in the company’s decision to locate the jobs in Northern Ireland. This follows a previous decision by Deloitte’s in 2013 to expand its operations in Belfast. It is anticipated that by 2019 the total number of Deloitte employees in Northern Ireland will be more than 700. Deloitte will also expand operations in the Republic of Ireland, with an additional 100 positions and 200 graduate opportunities.
UPDATE 19/05/2016: Deloitte have announced that they intend to revise upward the target of new jobs to be created in Belfast. The original announcement in 2014 gave a target for total employment in the company of 700 by 2019. The latest statement from the company commits to employing 1,000 people by 2020, increasing the number of jobs created by 300. The original expansion was helped by a substantial investment from Northern Ireland's government agencies, however the new jobs are being created without the need for any public investment.
Eurofound (2014), Deloitte, Business expansion in United Kingdom, factsheet number 77550, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77550.