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.
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The public hospital Karolinska universitetssjukhuset announced plans to cut 550 positions within its administration units at all levels. The hospital announced that they need to save nearly SEK 1 billion (€92.89 million) during 2019, and the dismissals are set out as a measure to tackle economic deficits. In April 2019, the deficit was SEK 620 million (€57,59 million). The hospital director expressed in a press release that this is an 'economic emergency' for the hospital.
The economic deficit can also be seen in the light of the recent criticism against the construction of a new hospital building for Karolinska universitetssjukhuset. The criticism has mainly been about the high cost,nearly SEK 60 billion (€5,57 billion), due to a new model used in the public procurement of the construction of the building. The model makes a private actor responsible for building, running and financing the hospital. As a reaction against the increasing costs, one of the parties in the government proposed a legislation that forbids this kind of procurement in September 2018.
Update 14/2/2020: In February 2020, the hospital informed that the dismissals will stay under the announced figure of 550 positions - the restructuring will affect between 300-400 administrative workers in total.
Eurofound (2019), Karolinska universitetssjukhuset, Internal restructuring in Sweden, factsheet number 97730, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/97730.