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.
Otto, mail-order shopping company, announced on 21 January 2004 its plan to cut some 500 of the 3,000 jobs at its corporate headquarters as a result of a weak retail market. The company said it would avoid direct dismissals and rely on attrition to slim down its payroll. Otto officials also said they would seek to cut administrative costs by 25%, including major reductions in employee travel expenses. Otto employs 66,000 persons worlwide whereof some 12,000 in Germany.
Eurofound (2004), Otto, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 58973, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/58973.