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.
Retailer Kaufhof, a subsidiary of Metro Group, announced the closure of four stores in Gießen, Cologne, Nuremberg and Oberhausen due to the non-profitabilty of these filiales. Those four employ a total of 228 employees. Kaufhof has faced the risk of insolvency in the past years and closed down other four filiales in 2009 following the financial crisis. Currently, the retailer operates a total of 109 retail stores and 15 sport shops in Germany and 15 more in Belgium. The restructuring is expected to be concluded by mid-2012 and a socially acceptable solution for the employees that will be affected is being discussed.
Eurofound (2011), Kaufhof, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 72067, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/72067.