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.
Retailer of toddler and baby products, windeln.de, announced plans to cut 100 jobs in Germany. The online retailer stated a number of reasons for this job reduction including automatisation and digitalisation of its processes. The company also decided to centralise some of its functions. In addition, windeln.de announced to no longer use its storage facilities in Großbeeren (Berlin) which have been serving its sites in Germany, Switzerland and Eastern Europe but instead will set up a new storage facility in Poland in the second half of 2017. The firm also wants to reduce its supplier network from 750 to 290 suppliers.
Overall, the company seeks to realise balanced earning in the coming years. In total, windeln.de employs over 500 staff in Germany.
Eurofound (2016), windeln.de, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 88276, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/88276.