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.
Following the finalisation of its employer-employee negotiations, the US-based packaging manufacturer Bemis announced that it will cut up to 29 jobs. The job reductions are due to Bemis changing its production model in order to improve its service capability to its clients, as well as to improve its current and future cost efficiency. The reform will involve increasing centralisation and automation of activities.
The employer-employee negotiations were initiated in November 2017, at which point it was announced that job reductions would total 35. The trade union representative reported on 12 January that no employee had yet been dismissed. Further announcements are expected for spring 2018, to take effect later in the year.
Eurofound (2018), Bemis, Internal restructuring in Finland, factsheet number 93006, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/93006.