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.
Call center multinational company Sitel officially announced the laborforce adjustment of 306 jobs (303 in its Seville centre and 3 more in Barcelona) after negotiations between company and unions ended without agreement. While union representatives demanded the relocation of all those affected employees in other clients campaigns, Sitel proposed to relocate 36 workers, although reducing working hours and proposing geographical mobility to Madrid to another 50 workers (with a single-payment aid of €1,000).
Sitel argues that the loss of its main client (Orange), for which they managed client assistance, forces them to implement the adjustment. Nevertheless, unions highlight the fact that the company is trying to replace permanent jobs with temporary contracts.
Eurofound (2019), Sitel, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 99633, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/99633.