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 supplier of gas and electricity Eneco is cutting 80 out of 450 jobs at its subsidiary Eneco Installatiebedrijven, which instals central heating, thermostats, solar panels, etc. at homes and businesses. The job cuts are the result of the decision to no longer service corporate customers such as housing corporations because these activities are generating losses. 40 out of the originally intended 120 job losses were prevented by placing employees elsewhere in the company. The company has already negotiated a social plan with the unions and is in further negotiations to try to limit job losses as much as possible. Eneco Groep has activities in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK and consists of a whole range of subsidiaries specialising in different parts of energy generation and distribution.
Eurofound (2016), Eneco Installatiebedrijven, Internal restructuring in Netherlands, factsheet number 88602, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/88602.