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.
Saar Gummi Czech, a Germany-based manufacturer of rubber car seals, is to cut production and lay off approximately 15 per cent of the 1,150 staff, i.e. 180 employees. The redundancies will mainly affect agency workers, workers in sheltered workshops and people in a reformatory. In addition, the company will induct around 100 job reductions in other closely cooperating companies. The reason for this is a big limitation in the production at the company's customers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company is one of the largest employers in the Náchod region. Saar Gummi Czech is one of the European leaders in the manufacture of rubber car seals. The main customers of the company are Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, Daimler - Mercedes and PSA.
Eurofound (2020), Saar Gummi Czech, Internal restructuring in Czechia, factsheet number 100360, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/100360.