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 22 January 2023, the German steel manufacturer Salzgitter AG is planning to reduce the number of its employees in Germany by 500 to 800 people until 2033. According to the company, fewer employees will be needed in the future due to the continuous conversion of its production to carbon-neutral processes. The job reduction will exclusively be achieved via the age pyramid – retiring employees will not be replaced. Salzgitter AG expects, that 30% of its employees will have retired by 2030.
Currently Salzgitter has approximately 24,000 employees worldwide.
Eurofound (2023), Salzgitter AG, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 108234, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/108234.