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 6 November 2014, book retail chain Weltbild announced the further cutting of 200 jobs. 100 employees will be dismissed before Christmas and the remaining 100 be dismissed by February 2015.
Weltbild had filed for bankruptcy and therefore has already dismissed around 600 people (seeĀ FS 2014). As reported by several newspapers, approximately 1,000 people have already been dismissed by Weltbild. As a result, 2,600 employees currently remain employed by the company.
The Droege Group, as new investor, had promised not to cut further jobs until July. The works council is thus complaining about the announcement that jobs will be cut both this year and early next year. Droege stated that Weltbild had failed to comply with the restructuring plan, making additional reductions necessary.
Eurofound (2014), Weltbild, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 77848, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77848.