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.
After filing for insolvency earlier this year, the German branch of the British tour operator Thomas Cook has been declared bankrupt in November 2019, which will lead to 2,100 redundancies. However, half of the dismissed staff might find new employment possibilities in the same field, as several units of the Thomas Cook group have been acquired by investors.
After the liquidation of Thomas Cook in the UK and other foreign subsidiaries, in autumn 2019, the German government expressed a will to offer financial support to the national branch of the company. Nevertheless, the auditing bodies have declared that the business is unsustainable in the long-term. Thus, the support instrument for the company has been withdrawn. Currently, the German government seeks ways to compensate the affected customers of Thomas Cook.
Eurofound (2019), Thomas Cook, Bankruptcy in Germany, factsheet number 99230, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/99230.