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 group Eram, which manages several brands of clothes and leather goods brands, has announced the closure of 96 stores in France. This reorganisation will lead to cut about 274 positions. Eram will negotiate two employment safeguard plans for two of its brands: Texto, which will close 62 of its 80 stores, and Heyraud, which will close 34 of its 45 stores. The Eram brand, which sells shoes, is not affected by this plan, says the group, which operates 1,100 stores and owns 11 brands. The Eram family group is faced with a rapidly changing market: growth in online shoe sales; young people who are turning away from classic shoes in favour of sneakers; and a drop in activity in city centre shops. In total, the shoe market declined by 6% in the first nine months of the year, according to the employers' organisation of the shoe retailers (Fédération des enseignes de la chaussure). The employment safeguard plans for Texto and Heyraud could be completed at the end of January and end of February respectively. The group employs about 7,000 people in France and abroad.
Eurofound (2018), Eram, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 96047, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/96047.