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.
A source close to Whitbread, the UK-based leisure group, said that more than 100 jobs in the company’s head office will be cut. Consultation with the affected staff has started and ten people have already been made redundant. A spokesperson for Whitbread said that there will be a 'small number' of job cuts and the company will create '1,700 new jobs over the next twelve months.' However, information about the planned job creation is not available. The decision to reduce the number of staff follows the sale of Costa Coffee, previously owned by Whitbread to the Coca-Cola Company in early 2019. Immediately after the sale, Whitbread’s chief executive said that they were looking into 'simplifying and removing duplication in some areas.' Trade unions or other employee representatives have not commented on the job cuts.
Eurofound (2019), Whitbread, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 97594, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/97594.