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 26 January 2017, the producer of printers Ricoh Deutschland, subsidiary of the Japanese Ricoh company announced to cut 484 full time positions by March 2018. Mainly affected will be the administration department in Hanover including some job cuts also in other departments. The company has recently been struggling due to lower demand for printers.
The job cuts are part of a restructuring programme seeking to become more competitive and for sustainable growth. Ricoh Deutschland will strengthen other business parts like IT services, business process and communication services.
Management is negotiating with the works’ council at the moment. Management seeks to realise socially acceptable solutions. The job cuts will be implemented gradually form 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Ricoh Deutschland employs 3,000 employees in Germany. Around 1,100 are working in Hanover at the moment.
Eurofound (2017), Ricoh Deutschland, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 90372, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/90372.