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.
Heideldruck, the leading German manufacturer of printing machines, is the first Germany company to receive public guarantees from the steering council of the German 'Economy Fund', the fund for large company cases set up as part of the national economic stimulus packages. Management and works council have started to work on a restructuring plan that currently includes the cutting of 5000 jobs. Out of these 3000 jobs shall be shed in Germany In production about a 20 per cent of all jobs in production shall be cut; about a quarter or one third of all administrative jobs are planned to be axed. Currently, the company employs a total of 20000 persons. There is no precise timeline yet.
Eurofound (2009), Heideldruck, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 68947, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/68947.