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.
Banking group Santander has announced plans to close 140 of its high street branches with the loss of up to 1,270 jobs. The closures which represent around one-fifth of the bank's branch network have been announced in response to changing customer behaviour, with ever growing numbers of customers conducting business online. Santander has said that it will look at options for redeployment and it hopes to find roles for around one-third of the affected employees. Unions have already been consulted over the proposed closures and the list of affected branches has been released. Closures are due to begin on 25 April 2019.
Eurofound (2019), Santander, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 96674, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/96674.