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.
In an email sent to its employees, the CEO of Tesla, has announced that the company will lay off about 9% of its worldwide workforce. Therefore, about 4,000 people will leave the company in the next weeks. The layoffs will primarily affect salaried employees, sparing production-line workers as the company ramps up Model 3 production. The job cuts will occur on 'some job functions that were no longer necessary', added the CEO.
During Tesla's first-quarter earnings call in May, the CEO said the company would begin restructuring operation with the aim to meet its profitability goals. The restructuring would entail 'flattening the management structure', but dismissals weren't mentioned; the new decision has surprised Tesla' employees.
Eurofound (2018), Tesla, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 94323, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/94323.