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.
Marks and Spencer has announced that it is taking on 4,000 customer assistants throughout the UK. The company said sales growth remained "encouraging" despite tough trading conditions. Retail director Anthony Thompson said 'stores getting busier' had meant a 'big increase in workload'. The company promised that its new recruits would be fully trained and would receive a 'good salary and benefits package'. No date has yet been announced for when the new staff will be recruited. Marks and Spencer is two years into a three-year recovery scheme. A key reason for the recruitment drive is the growing number of its Simply Food stores, following its acquisition of 28 outlets from retailer Iceland for 38 million GBP announced in January. The jobs boost was announced on Tuesday by the retailer as it published a trading update which revealed overall sales were up by 10.4%, with food sales increasing by 9.2% and general merchandise rising 11.7%.
Eurofound (2006), Marks and Spencer, Business expansion in United Kingdom, factsheet number 63777, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/63777.