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 Friday 18 of November, at a press conference in Wolfsburg, Volkswagen announced a cut of 30000 jobs.
Jobs will be cut in Germany (up to 23,000) but also in North America, Brazil, and Argentina. The cuts are part of the restructuring design of the brand and staff reduction is planned through partial and early retirement and reduction of part-time staff.
Volkswagen is the Europe’s largest automaker and has recently struggled with low profits. The restructuring will help the company to recover from the diesel emissions scandal.
The company intends to invest into the development of electric and self driving cars; the management pledge is to create 9000 new jobs in the area of electric cars, mainly at factories in Germany.
Eurofound (2016), Volkswagen, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 89160, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/89160.