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.
US-American pharmaceutical company AbbVie is to cut 200 jobs until 2016 at its site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. As reported, the restructuring is to affect the production sector where 600 people are employed. Job cuts are due to ending contracts for several productions and a low production volume of two HIV drugs. 65 people shall leave the company voluntarily this year.
The president of the works' council was surprised by the amount of the job losses, but a spokesman of the company assured that they are to be implemented in a socially acceptable manner avoiding operational dismissals.
Eurofound (2014), AbbVie, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 77023, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77023.