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.
Railway construction company NRC is restructuring and will dismiss 40 of its 250 employees in Norway. The company has decided that it will no longer do pre-construction ground work for railways, and is dismantling this section of the company. 40 unskilled workers will consequently be made redundant. Such ground work largely consists of digging and transportation of soil, which the company no longer sees as part of its core competence. The company has not yet set a timeline for the cuts, but will start dialogue with the affected employees immediately. The company's management has stated that it will assist affected employees in finding jobs in other companies still in the ground work business.
Eurofound (2017), NRC, Internal restructuring in Norway, factsheet number 90538, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/90538.