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 23 April 2014, the business daily Handelsblatt reported on further job cuts at German photovoltaic modules producer SMA Solar. 800 jobs will be cut by the end of 2014. The recent job cuts continue the company’s cost reduction measures of the last two years (see SMA Solar 2013, SMA Solar 2012 and SMA Solar 2012 World). Suffering from strong competition and reduced subsidies, SMA Solar has announced it will continue cost reductions. The company’s strategy also includes investing in research & development and working together with new shareholder Danfoss, a Danish company producing heating and refrigeration systems.
Eurofound (2014), SMA Solar, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 76904, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/76904.