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.
Amazon has announced an employment redundancy file plan (ERE) in Spain that will affect approximately 1,200 employees at its corporate offices in Madrid and Barcelona. The cuts, centred on Amazon Digital Spain and Amazon Spain Services, form part of a wider global restructuring that will affect 14,000 corporate jobs eliminated worldwide. The company’s logistics, delivery, and warehouse operations across Spain (where Amazon employs around 28,000 people) will remain unaffected.
The decision is aimed at streamlining internal structures and reducing bureaucracy to enhance operational efficiency. Amazon clarified that the total number of layoffs globally is smaller than initially speculated, impacting mainly administrative and office-based roles. Affected employees will be offered 90 days to seek internal transfers within Amazon, with priority given to existing staff.
The announcement follows strong third-quarter financial results, with Amazon posting a net profit of $21.2 billion (up 38.2% year-on-year) and quarterly revenue of $180.2 billion, a 13.4% increase from 2024.
The company has experienced several business expansion periods in 2022 Amazon 2022-ES, 2023 Amazon 2023-ESand 2024Amazon 2024-ES, with job increases of 2000, 1000 and 400, respectively.
Updated, 17/12/2025: Amazon has concluded its Employment Redundancy File (ERE) in Spain, reducing the initially proposed 1,200 job cuts to 920 employees across its Madrid and Barcelona offices. The agreement with unions includes 38 days of compensation per year worked, capped at 24 monthly payments, with a minimum payout of €7,000. The majority of the layoffs will affect Barcelona, where 791 employees from the marketplace support service will be let go. In Madrid, 129 employees from Amazon Digital Spain, which manages Amazon Prime Video, will be affected. The agreement also includes paid leave until 28 February and company stock compensation to be paid in February. International employees whose visas are tied to their Amazon contracts will receive an additional €1,500 payment. While the ERE is mostly voluntary, Amazon reserves the right to veto certain applications. Despite the redundancies, Amazon recorded a 12.7% increase in revenue in Spain last year, reaching over €8 billion.
Eurofound (2025), Amazon España, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 203597, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/203597.