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.
The bank Abanca will implement an adjustment plan affecting 500 employees, 10% of its current workforce. This adjustment follows the acquisition of Banco Caixa Geral (BCG) last October. However, Abanca stated that the main reason to implement this measure is due to economic and organisational reasons, and to the digitalisation process inherent to the sector. Unions declared to the press that the firm called workers representatives of both companies (Abanca and BCG) to negotiate the terms of the adjustment process. Trade union representatives stated that they hope to achieve a reduction in the number of jobs losses through pre-retirement and voluntary departures measures.
Eurofound (2020), Abanca, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 99860, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/99860.