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 12 January, the Dutch light bulb manufacturer Philips Lighting, will be closing its plant in Aachen by the end of August 2018, which will result in the loss of 158 jobs. The closure is a result of a decreasing demand for traditional light bulbs. Also, the move anticipates the implementation of a new EU-law, which stipulates that from 1 September 2018, only halogen bulbs with an energy class C are allowed to be sold. Philips Lighting and the German Metalworkers’ Union are actively negotiating with local businesses to take over employees.
Eurofound (2018), Philips Lighting, Closure in Germany, factsheet number 93018, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/93018.