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.
The social network company Twitter has announced a restructuring that will lead to cut about 9% of its global workforce, as it tries to revamp the company and become profitable. As Twitter employs about 3,860 people worldwide. After the failure of the takeover discussions with Salesforce.com, Twitter has launched a reorganisation plan with layoff and divestitures. Twitter is also beginning to pare back businesses it no longer views as central. In 2015, the company has already announced to cut about 336 positions (8% of its global workforce), a week after the co-founder Jack Dorsey became the CEO of the company. Twitter has also announced an increase of its turnover of 8% from $605.8 million to $616 million(€546 million to €555.4 million), and a slowing growth of 20% for the third Quarter 2016 against a growth of 58% for the third Quarter 2015. The company however, reduced its loss from $102.9 million (€92.78 million) during the third Quarter 2016 against $131.7 million(€118.5 million) for the third Quarter 2015.
Eurofound (2016), Twitter, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 89018, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/89018.