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.

Pharmaceutical firm Alfasigma announced a total 476 dismissals across its Italian sites, namely the offices in Bologna and Milan, and the plants in Alanno (Pescara), Sermoneta (Latina), Pomezia (Roma). Among those, 87 jobs will be transferred.
With a total employee base of 1,696, the company is one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in Italy. It was established following a fusion between three large firms in August 2017.
The decision of cutting the jobs is attributed to the recent merger between Alfa Wassermann, Sigma-Tau, and Biofutura.
Redundancies should affect mainly sales representatives and administrative personnel (456) plus 20 managers.
Unions are taking part in the collective dismissal procedure and wish to influence the outcome thereof, deeming the decision of the management not inline with the company’s industrial plan. In the meantime workers are issuing strikes and demonstrations.
Eurofound (2017), Alfasigma, Merger/Acquisition in Italy, factsheet number 92207, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/92207.