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 Japan-owned Astellas Pharma announced in June 2017 that it will relocate its development and testing of medicines from Leiden, Zuid-Holland to Northbrook in the US and Tokyo in Japan, which will result in the loss of at the least 200 jobs in the Netherlands. The company has stated that Leiden will remain a regional centre that will undertake support activities, such as quality control, supply chain management and more.
As of June 2017, Astellas Pharma employs approximately 550 people in Leiden.
Eurofound (2017), Astellas Pharma, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Netherlands, factsheet number 92903, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/92903.