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 12 March 2009, the technology group Gea announced the loss of up to 200 jobs in Germany. On a worldwide scale, up to 1,900 jobs are however to be lost. Gea stated that overall up to 800 dismissals were to be made: 100 to 200 in Germany and another 600 outside Germany. The remaining job cuts are to be realised by not retaining temporary agency workers. Job cuts are part of a cost-saving programme worth around 134 million euro. Gea is specialised in mechanical engineering and employs 21,000 staff worldwide.
Eurofound (2009), Gea, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 68507, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/68507.