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.
Printers De La Rue has announced plans to cut 170 jobs from its site in Gateshead. The firm which prints bank notes had previously also held the contract to manufacture British passports, though in 2018 this contract was awarded to a competitor. Despite this, the company did not mention the loss of the passport contract when it announced the plans to cut jobs, instead referencing the need to remain globally competitive. The Unite union commented that the loss of the passport contract raised serious concerns about the long-term future of the site in the North East. The time frame for the restructure has not yet been reported.
Eurofound (2019), De La Rue, Internal restructuring in United Kingdom, factsheet number 98055, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/98055.