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 2 February 2017, German engineering and electronics company, Bosch-Rexroth announced to cut up to 500 jobs by the end of 2018. The affected site are Fellbach (Baden-Wurttemberg), Ober-Ramstadt (Hesse) and Lohr (Bavaria).
The site in Fellbach will be closed by the end of 2017 with 100 employees affected by this closure. The production of industrial hydraulic products in Ober-Ramstadt will be stopped at the end of 2018, at this site 150 employees are affected. The company is examining at the moment if this production site is suitable for other products. If this is not the case, the site will be closed fully. Further 50 jobs at the production and 200 jobs at the sales, development and administration departments in Lohr will be cut by the end of 2018.
The subsidiary of Bosch claims that the market volume for industrial hydraulic products dropped by 11% within the last three years. Therefore, the company wants to adjust the capacity for standard hydraulic products in an attempt to stay competitive. Management announced that the job cuts will be as socially acceptable as possible. Negotiations with the works’ council concerning a social plan will start shortly.
Already in 2015, Bosch-Rexroth had cut 450 jobs in Germany, see (Bosch-Rexroth, 2015) and (Bosch Rexroth, 2015). The company employs 31,100 people worldwide and 15,099 employees in Germany.
Eurofound (2017), Bosch-Rexroth, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 90300, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/90300.