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.
Gorenje, the Slovenian household appliance manufacturer (producer of refrigerators, kitchen stoves and complete kitchens, washing and drying machines, dish-washing machines and so on), will reduce its workforce by up to 325 workers. According to the official announcement, the company will not renew the employment contracts of 190 temporary workers. However trade union's representatives claim that the official figure does not include 135 workers hired through temporary work agencies, and therefore the total number of laid-off workers would be 325. Shrinking of the workforce is due to the relocation of production of refrigerators to Valjevo (Serbia). The Chinese corporation Hisense recently purchased Gorenje that employs 11,039 workers worldwide, of which 6,643 employees work in Slovenia.
Eurofound (2019), Gorenje, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Slovenia, factsheet number 96627, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/96627.