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.
GE Healthcare Germany, a producer of medical equipment and technology, has announced that it is to cut 115 jobs at its site in Freiburg. The two divisions affected will be the ‘consignment of products’ department and the ‘repair’ department. Part of the production at the ‘consignments of products’ department will be ‘offshored’ to the Middle East, whilst the whole of the ‘repair’ department will be ‘offshored’ to Helsinki in Finland. As of November 2007, there is no information on the number employed at the Freiburg site or when the job losses will be implemented by. GE Healthcare employs 1,700 at 11 locations in Germany.
Eurofound (2007), GE Healthcare, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Germany, factsheet number 66044, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/66044.