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.
On 29 December, the retail group REAL, a subsidiary of the retail and wholesale giant Metro, announced the closure of 15 superstores at various sites in Germany that pertained to the former Wal-Mart Germany. Around 1,200 employees are supposed to be affected. In addition, the central department of Wal-Mart Germany that is located in Wuppertal is to be closed by September 2007, too. Some of the 700 employees will be offered vacancies at other sites of REAL and Metro. The remaining 70 stores with almost 10,000 employees will be renamed and integrated into the REAL network. Wal-Mart Germany was acquired by Metro at the end of July 2006 and the merger was approved by the Federal Cartel Office at the beginning of November.
Eurofound (2006), REAL, Merger/Acquisition in Germany, factsheet number 64684, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/64684.