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 US-owned online retailer Amazon announced that it will create over 1,000 positions at its new distribution centre in Świebodzin by September 2022. Amazon has started recruiting for a range of roles at the site - in the first phase, the company is recruiting engineers, HR and IT specialists, occupational safety specialists and operations managers, among others. All employees will receive an additional benefit package, including private medical care, life insurance, free bus travel on selected routes. The mayor of Świebodzin expressed his delight at the planned job creation.
Following the expansion of its activities in Poland, the company is building its tenth logistics centre with an area of 193,000 square meters. The unit is expected to be launched in September 2021. The centre will be equipped with advanced Amazon Robotics technology – the employees will be supported by 3,000 robots. The employees will supply small items such as books, electronics and consumer goods.
Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce company, currently employs over 1,225,000 employees worldwide. Amazon has been operating in Poland since 2014 and employs over 18,000 people in nine distribution centres across the country. In 2020, Amazon opened two new centres in the country – in Gliwice and Łódź.
Previous business expansions were announced in March 2019 (1,000 jobs created), July 2019 (1,000 jobs created), February 2020 (1,000 jobs created), May 2020 (100 jobs created) and August 2020 (500 jobs created).
Eurofound (2021), Amazon, Business expansion in Poland, factsheet number 103051, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/103051.