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.
BT Openreach has announced that it is to create 500 new jobs. The telecommunications company will recruit engineers to work on its network. Most of the new jobs will be permanent, though some will be on 18 month contracts. The recruitment comes as the company looks to increase its workforce both for its own upcoming projects and in order to meet regulatory requirements about service levels.
Other major infrastructure projects, by competitors, which are scheduled to take place may lead to higher labour costs and / or shortages across the sector and have also been reported as influencing this latest move by BT. The company previously recruited a number of engineersĀ earlier in 2014, and it is thought that recruitment will initially be from unsuccessful applicants from this previous recruitment drive. It is not known when the jobs will be filled.
Eurofound (2014), BT Openreach, Business expansion in United Kingdom, factsheet number 77748, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77748.