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.
In the course of a major outsourcing plan affecting pants in Austria and the Czech Republic, the management of the Austria-based Head Sport company will relocate the firm's tennis racket production activities from Kennelbach (Austria) to China. As a consequence, 111 blue- and 9 white-collar workers will be dismissed by June 2005. Experts suppose both the high exchange rate of the euro and significant price increases of basic materials being the primary reasons for the planned relocations. Research and development, marketing and sales of the tennis division will remain at the headquarters in Kennelbach, just as is the case for the whole ski production which employs almost 400 workers. The Austrian trade unions have demanded to establish a comprehensive social plan for the workers concerned.
Eurofound (2005), Head Sport, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Austria, factsheet number 61525, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/61525.