Bots vs. Humans

Covid-19 has led some companies to turn to automation to deal with growing demand, closed offices, or budget constraints. But for other companies, the pandemic has provided cover for executives to implement ambitious automation plans they dreamed up long ago.

There’s a new employee in town, R.P.A. (robotic process automation) is beginning to take hold in professions across the board, making life easier for some and costing jobs for others. The workers most at risk for being affected when companies turn to these programs for increased ROI are the highly educated. Read more here: The Robots Are Coming for Phil in Accounting

Employees vs Shareholders

Many workers have been laid off or furloughed since the beginning of the Corona virus pandemic. As companies close stores, curtail production and shed employees, some are continuing to pay shareholders. Even though this may be a “bigger” picture issue, the optics of these business practices is not likely to win support. The Washington Post reports that Caterpillar, Levi Strauss, and Stanley Black and Decker have all chosen shareholders over employees. Deciding who will bear the brunt of the current economic climate is tough, but should it be the workers?

U.S. companies cut thousands of workers while continuing to reward shareholders during pandemic