EU campaign targets algorithmic layoffs after automated termination claims

European activists are urging regulators to ban AI-driven layoffs following allegations that workers face automated contract termination without human oversight. A campaign by Eko and promoted by journalist Charmaine Scammell claims employees have been fired solely by algorithms for infractions like excessive bathroom breaks, with no managerial review or appeal process available. The initiative asserts that nearly all EU workers are now subject to some form of algorithmic management. While specific companies and termination incidents remain unverified in public reports, the campaign demands legislative action to protect workers from autonomous employment decisions. This push coincides with ongoing EU Platform Work Directive negotiations regarding algorithmic transparency. Labor rights groups argue current regulations fail to address fully automated dismissals, while industry representatives maintain human oversight remains standard practice in workforce management systems across Europe.