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.
Flink, the German food delivery startup, has announced that it is cutting 8,000 jobs from its global workforce during 2023 or around 40% of headcount. The job cuts will be targeted at all departments within the company though the technology department will be excluded. Difficult market conditions during 2022 has resulted in the company having to raise retail prices and review its cost structures. This restructuring is a result of the review, as well as a renewed focus on Germany, France and the Netherlands. It is in these countries where the cuts have also been targeted. Flink has also announced that it has, and will continue to, close department stores as part of the restructuring.
Eurofound (2023), Flink, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 108835, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/108835.