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 Dutch branch of the tour operator Thomas Cook has been declared bankrupt by the Amsterdam court. Thomas Cook Nederland includes operating companies and trade names such as All Air, All Seasons, Escapade Voyages, Europa Exclusief, Neckermann, Neckermann Reizen, Neckermann Vliegreizen and Thomas Cook. Thomas Cook Nederland employs around 200 people who will all receive a letter of dismissal at very short notice. In the days before the bankruptcy multiple potential solutions were looked at but none proved to be sufficient.
Thomas Cook main branch, the one in the UK entered compulsory liquidation on 23 September and an order had been granted to appoint an official receiver to liquidate the company.
The Belgian branch of the company announced bankruptcy on the same day (30 September) resulting in 575 jobs lost.
Eurofound (2019), Thomas Cook Nederland, Bankruptcy in Netherlands, factsheet number 98789, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/98789.