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.
The Dutch shipbuilding company IHC with shipyards in Kinderdijk, Krimpen aan den Ijssel and Sliedrecht (Western Netherlands) announced that 487 out of 2800 permanent employees would lose there jobs, along with the majority of 1127 temporarily contracted workers. The job cuts are a direct consequence of the poorly performing market and as a result of low oil prices. They are to be implemented by the end of 2015 and will touch on employees of all units and age groups, following the principle of 'mirroring', i.e. proportionately mirroring the spread across age groups among dismissed employees with the spread across age groups in the entire workforce. The unions have responded with surprise at the high number of announced job losses. They expect much unrest in the company and urge IHC to proceed with great care. A social plan is yet to be negotiated.
Update 27/05/2016:In May 2016, a trade union official announced that efforts made by the works council have saved about 100 positions, as employees have been transferred to another position within the company. More than 100 persons have left the company of their own accord, having found another employer themselves. Another 20 to 50 persons voluntarily made use of dismissal arrangements which had been negotiated with the trade unions. Nonetheless, 43 persons were dismissed in May, and another 125 employees are expected to be dismissed by the end of the year.
Eurofound (2015), IHC, Internal restructuring in Netherlands, factsheet number 87603, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/87603.