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 French National Forest Agency (Office national des Forêts) has announced to cut 226 positions in 2019. This will be achieved by not replacing the retiring employees and by removing from the organigram 145 vacant positions already frozen since June 2018. The National Forest Agency manages natural areas in France. Its work is conducted as part of a multi-year framework agreement with the state. It ensures the sustainable management of French public forests (nearly 10 million hectares).
The agency, a commercial and industrial state-run body (établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial, EPIC) has decreased its workforce substantially over the last 30 years. A previous restructuring was recorded in 2012: 700 job reductions between 2012 and 2016.
Eurofound (2018), Office national des forêts, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 95552, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/95552.