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.
As announced on 19 December 2017, the German car repair shop A.T.U will be cutting 300 jobs in the administration department until 2020 due to internal restructuring at its headquarter in Weiden as well as at its 5 regional centres. In October, A.T.U had announced to reduce personnel costs by €15 million, this objective was included in a package of restructuring measures at the end of December. The job reductions should happen through natural fluctuation as A.T.U tries to avoid direct dismissals. At the same time A.T.U will be investing double-digit millions in the digitalisation of its headquarter and regional centres to improve working processes.
A.T.U has approximately 10,000 employees in Germany, Austria and Switzerland of which 900 work in administration in Germany.
Eurofound (2017), A.T.U, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 92958, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/92958.