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.
Staff at the workld famous Wedgwood pottery business have been informed that there will be 145 jobs cuts at the Barlaston site in Staffordshire. The site employs 440 people currently and jobs are being cut in order to reduce complexity across the company's manufacturing sites. Of the job losses, 130 are expected to be from the manufacturing side of the operations, with a further 15 losses to come from the site's restaurant. The plans are subject to a consultation with the trade union which is due to begin shortly. The exact numbers of job losses and the timetable for the restructuring will be confirmed during the consultation process.
Eurofound (2019), Wedgwood, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 97423, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/97423.