Worker headsets met by backlash in Aussie now used at supermarkets in NZ

Headsets worn at Woolworths and Foodstuffs distribution centres give workers instructions. Illustration / Paul Slater

• Distribution centre workers in Australia have slammed headsets that give time targets they say are unfair and unsafe.
• They say they are pushed to reach 100% efficiency and are openly rated and ranked.
• Major supermarket distribution centres here now also use the headsets and workers are concerned the same strict targets and pressure will be introduced.

Headsets used to assign jobs and rank performance at Woolworths distribution centres in Australia are being used by all major supermarkets here, and workers are concerned their every move could soon be tracked.

In Australia, the headsets use voice commands to direct workers to picking and packing jobs and state a time completion expectation for each order.

The headsets have been slammed for adding unrealistic time pressures on Australian workers – with claims there are time limits for toilet breaks, and checks that workers walk the shortest routes to every destination.

Here, picking and packing staff at Woolworths NZ and the Foodstuffs-operated Pak’nSave and New World distribution centres now wear the same headsets throughout their shifts.

But the supermarkets insist the surveillance of staff isn’t happening here.

Woolworths insists no time limits are given through the headsets – instead, performance is measured by the time taken to pick and pack items.

“We track product, not our people,” a Woolworths spokesman said.

But at Foodstuffs the headsets gave a target time.

“At the beginning of each work assignment, the headset will indicate a recommended target time for safe completion,” a Foodstuffs spokesperson said.

“Once the assignment is finished, it will say how long it took. These target times reflect what a trained operator is expected to safely achieve.”

Productivity can be measured with or without headsets in terms of items picked per hour, a Foodstuffs spokesperson told the Herald.

“Ensuring the health, wellbeing, and safety of our teams is our top priority, and providing training that puts an emphasis on safe work practices is one of the many ways we’re reducing workplace injuries across our distribution centres,” the spokesperson said.

In Australia, workers said there was more emphasis on getting the job done as fast as possible.

An article in the Guardian said Australian employees were expected to complete tasks within a designated time to achieve a perfect efficiency score of 100%. If they didn’t achieve it, they were given coaching until they did.

The article reported that one worker said her headset indicated it should take 14 minutes to pick 96 items from multiple locations, which she said was “not achievable”.

Others said times didn’t allow for longer bathroom breaks or differences in the physical abilities of workers.

It claimed the scores of each worker were posted at the end of every shift for all to see.

One New Zealand-based worker told the Herald through an intermediary “it wasn’t quite at that level here” but claimed it was “heading that way”.

Woolworths staff here were aware of the backlash in Australia and were concerned they would experience the same pressure.

“It usually takes a bit longer for the systems in Australia to be fully introduced here, but it does eventually happen” one claimed.

Another Kiwi Woolworths worker told the Herald their performance was already analysed and pressure applied for them to work faster.

“They say how long a particular job should take and we have to perform to that level,” the worker said.

“The job is already done at a fast pace and this just adds pressure to rush because your performance is picked over.”

The worker said teams were already short-staffed, so extra pressure to be faster was potentially dangerous − especially when packing pallets.

“When people are rushing, trying to meet a time that’s when mistakes are made and accidents happen,” they claimed.

When approached by the Herald, Woolworths New Zealand said safety was a priority and the systems used were standard for any large business wanting to improve its productivity.

Workers at Woolworths' distribution centres wear headsets for productivity.

“In New Zealand the standards are set in conjunction with our local unions, considering various factors to ensure products can be picked and moved efficiently and safely.

“Safety is at the core of everything we do, and doing a job safely is inherently built into the standards.”

In New Zealand performance was assessed quarterly, not daily, they said. Coaching was given to improve productivity.

“We have a coaching framework that enables us to work with each team member to the best of their ability, to ensure a fair approach to the standards is applied to any personal circumstances or abilities.”

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