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.
De Bijenkorf, a Dutch premium department store chain operating in the non-specialised retail sector, announced the reduction of 167 jobs in the Netherlands as part of an internal restructuring. The job cuts affect 57 positions at the company’s head office and 110 positions in its seven department stores located in major cities including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. The announced job losses represent nearly 7.5% of the total workforce.
The company stated that the restructuring is a response to a challenging and rapidly changing retail market combined with rising operational costs.
Trade union FNV criticised the decision, arguing that the restructuring was unnecessary given that the company closed the 2024 financial year with a profit. The union called on political authorities to better protect Dutch businesses from foreign ownership influences.
The Bijenkorf is a long‑established Dutch department‑store group that operates seven stores in the Netherlands, all of which will remain operational following the announced layoffs.
Eurofound (2026), De Bijenkorf, Internal restructuring in Netherlands, factsheet number 203937, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/203937.