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.
Orange Poland (former TP – Polish Telecom) and its subsidiary Orange Customer Service have announced that they plan to cut 1,030 jobs via a voluntary dismissal programme in 2016 (730 jobs are expected to be cut in Orange Poland, and further 300 in Orange Customer Service).
The companies have signed a collective bargaining agreement with the local trade unions. Employees who have been in service for ten years will be eligible to enter the programme. Redundant workers will receive a severance pay according to seniority. The agreement involves a voluntary redundancy plan affecting 2,050 people in the period 2016-17 in both companies.
Also as part of the agreement, a pay rise of 2.5% both in 2016 and 2017 has been negotiated as well as investments in improving the working environment. According to the source, 2,950 employees were covered by the voluntary dismissal programme in the period 2014-15, including 700 employees of Orange Customer Service.
Eurofound (2015), Orange Poland, Internal restructuring in Poland, factsheet number 86088, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/86088.