Full Story Best of 2024: ‘We are not robots’: Woolworths workers tracked and timed
Dec 23, 2024
What happens when workers are treated like machines? Employees at Woolworths share alarming insights about the relentless monitoring and harsh efficiency standards that compromise their health and safety. They describe a high-pressure environment, likening their tasks to a game of Tetris, with constant surveillance resulting in humiliation and injury risks. The podcast questions the impact of automation and surveillance, highlighting the troubling trend of dehumanizing workplace practices and the growing threat to job security.
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Worker's Experience with Tracking
- Tim, a Woolworths warehouse worker, described his experience with the company's labor tracking system.
- He gets an efficiency rating out of 100 displayed on a screen at the end of each workday.
Injury Due to Efficiency Pressure
- Tim injured himself due to the pressure of increasing his efficiency rating under a new framework.
- The framework aimed to enforce a 100% efficiency rate, leading to coaching programs and potential disciplinary actions.
100% Efficiency: Possible or Not?
- Achieving 100% efficiency is sometimes possible with easy tasks like packing similar items.
- However, it's difficult and potentially unsafe with varied, heavy items, like doing "Tetris on a pallet."