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.
As announced on 2 September 2020, the German ceramic manufacturer Villeroy und Boch will cut 100 jobs in Germany due to internal restructuring. In February 2020, Villeroy und Boch announced a ‘comprehensive transformation and efficiency programme’ to ensure their competitiveness in a digital age. According to the company, the COVID-19 crisis is not the cause for the job reduction, however, it surely is a catalyst.
The restructuring is a part of a worldwide programme; besides the 100 roles in Germany, the company will downsize another 100 jobs worldwide – mainly in administration. The job reduction will be as socially acceptable as possible and a consultation with the works’ council will be initiated.
As of today, there is no information on the distribution or the timeframe of job cuts available. A large portion of cuts will, however, take place at the company’s headquarters at Mettlach, Saarland.
Villeroy und Boch has 7,500 employees worldwide.
Eurofound (2020), Villeroy & Boch, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 101690, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101690.