<
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/23/woolworths-staff-efficiency-productivity-crackdown-timed>
"Tim* has worked in a Woolworths warehouse for more than a decade. He’s helped
load trucks and done other jobs, but mostly he “picks”.
When he arrives at work, he puts on a headset that tells him where to go, what
items he needs to take from the shelves and pack and how long it should take
him to do it. All the while, the company measures his productivity and pushes
him to go faster.
For years, the company has tracked almost every minute of his day. Take a long
bathroom break and a team leader might ask where he’s been. His performance
percentage out of 100 appears on the screen when he clocks off, based on an
algorithmic management system that predicts how long it should take to do each
task.
With a market capitalisation of about $40bn, Woolworths is one of Australia’s
largest companies. This kind of tracking and time pressure isn’t unique to the
supermarket chain, but workers who are responsible for keeping shelves stocked
claim they are increasingly being pushed to comply with unrealistic and risky
standards.
Late last year, the company introduced a new framework to enforce an efficiency
rate for picking of 100%. Workers who weren’t meeting the standard would be put
into a coaching program. Some were directed to “stop all time wasting and
non-productive behaviors”, according to warning letters seen by
Guardian
Australia. Failure to improve could lead to disciplinary action and even loss
of employment. One worker described it as a “bullying” tactic.
Tim, who is over 60, said he was pushed to improve his rating. He got it to
more than 80%, then 90%, then 100%, he said, but in his effort to work harder,
faster, he was injured.
“You might get someone that’s … 20 years old and goes to the gym every day. And
someone like me. I’m getting the average between him and me,” Tim said.
“Obviously, I can’t keep up with him.”
“We’re going down the same path as Amazon,” said another worker, Ross*. “We’re
not robots, we’re humans.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
