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.
The automotive supplier Rege announced to cut 197 jobs in Germany at its sites in Eisenach and Witzenhausen. In Eisenach, some 800 employees and in Witzenhausen around 300 employees are employed. Rege named a difficult economic situation as the reason for the staff reduction. Already in March 2016, the company had announced to cut up to 350 jobs. However, after negotiating a social plan with the German Metalworkers' Union, numbers to be cut decreased to 197 jobs. In the meanwhile, 85 employees have already terminated their jobs.
Affected employees are offered to shift to a transfer agency for a maximum of 12 months. Those employees not willing to switch, will receive a dismissal and compensation payment. Part of the social plan is also a job guarantee for the remaining employees valid until the end of June 2018.
Eurofound (2016), Rege Motorenteile, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 88291, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/88291.