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.
The German chain of beauty stores Douglas, which last year bought Bodybell and Perfumerías If stores, will close 60 stores, affecting about 300 employees (around 10% of the workforce in Spain). The company justifyed the restructuring to streamline its Spanish structure and eliminate duplications of stores and optimize functions. Atfter the layoff, Douglas will invest more than 10 million euros in Spain to renovate their establishments and implement a new business model. The mangement of Douglas has pointed out that they face this process respecting workers and their representatives, undertaking to analyze any action that may minimize the effects of the measure.
Update 20/07/2018:The company Douglas has confirmed that the restructuring process will affect 334 employees (10% of the workforce). The USO union has specified that most of the dismissals will take place in Madrid (23) and will affect the workers of 25 perfume stores and employees of the company's central services (Human Resources, Marketing and Finance).
Eurofound (2018), Douglas, Merger/Acquisition in Spain, factsheet number 94312, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/94312.