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.

Bird, a leading Dutch tech company specializing in digital communications, announced a major restructuring involving the closure of its Amsterdam headquarters. The company, which initially employed around 600 people in Amsterdam, will reduce its workforce to approximately 240 employees, with 120 direct dismissals recently executed as part of the downsizing. The remaining employees will be retained in a small local office.
The restructuring results from challenges within the Dutch tech environment, including restrictive fiscal policies and rigid employment laws, which hinder the company's competitiveness compared to international rivals. Bird is relocating significant operations to offices in New York, Istanbul, Dubai, and Vilnius, with a relaxation retreat being set up in Thailand. Although the company’s headquarters remains in the Netherlands for now, a full relocation is being considered in the future.
Eurofound (2025), Bird, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Netherlands, factsheet number 202407, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/202407.