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.
Heine, a German fashion and home ware online and mail-order retailer, will cut 90 out of 590 jobs at its headquarter in Karlsruhe by mid-2016. According to the company, the job cuts are due to strong competition in the market. The workers' committee has already negotiated a redundancy plan.
Heine was founded in 1951. Since 1976, the company has been part of the Otto Group which is one of the biggest German online retailers, currently employing around 4,300 people in Germany within its numerous subsidies.
Eurofound (2015), Heine, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 86034, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/86034.