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.
On Tuesday 5 September 2017, the Danish toy manufacturer LEGO announced the plan to cut 1,400 jobs by the end of 2017. The company estimates the need to reduce the global workforce by 8% and while is not yet clear where the job cuts will fall, up to 600 jobs will be lost in Denmark. The decision to cut jobs is due to the change in demand in established markets (US and Europe) and there is a clear need of simplification of the business model.
Lego employs around 18,200 people worldwide and it has office hubs and factories in Denmark, in the US, London, Singapore, Shanghai, Mexico, Hungary, Czech Republic and China.
Eurofound (2017), Lego, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 91875, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/91875.