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.
Dim Branded Apparel is a multinational group that designs, manufactures and markets intimate apparel with brands such as Dim, Playtex, Wonderbra and Lovable. The group holds key market positions in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and throughout Eastern Europe.
Dim has 14,000 employees all over the world (of which 6,500 in Europe) and operates six wholly-owned and twelve leased manufacturing facilities as well as fourteen distribution centres in Western Europe. Since 2005, Dim Branded Apparel is owned by Sun Capital Partners, that is a leading private investment firm focused on leveraged buyouts, equity, debt, and other investments in market-leading companies.
On 12 May 2006, Dim Branded Apparel announced to the European Works Council a reorganisation plan that envisages the loss of 980 jobs in all Europe. In particular, the plan includes 450 redundancies in France, 330 in Spain, 140 in Italy, 40 in Germany and 20 in the United Kingdom.
The EWC's representatives have declared that, once they know the details of the plan, they will elaborate adequate initiatives at both EU level and national level for reacting to the companys decision.
Eurofound (2006), Dim Branded Apparel, Internal restructuring in European Union, factsheet number 63640, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/63640.