Woolworths new workplace policy draws backlash: reports

Rostering practices 'very common across all parts of the economy in many other sectors,' says Woolworths

BY Dexter Tilo 13 Jul 2024

Supermarket chain Woolworths has begun requiring employees to clock on and off for breaks under a new policy that's drawing backlash from unions.

The policy, which began taking effect July 8, was leaked online by an employee who posted a flyer that announced the new rule. According to the flyer, the new clocking policy wants to ensure that all team members are "taking their entitled meal breaks for their health, wellbeing, and safety."

"It also enables us to be able to provide increased pay confidence and will allow for greater accuracy of the RT3 schedule line, which supports stores to effectively roster team members to ensure meal breaks are covered in order to better service our customers," the flyer read.

Woolworths said that its system and rostering practices are "very common across all parts of the economy in many other sectors."

A spokesperson also told Yahoo News that the new break policy seeks to increase "visibility" for employees.

"In a business as large and complex as ours, it's important that we make sure we always do the right thing for our team to ensure they are rostered and paid correctly," the spokesperson said.

"This solution is critical to ensure there is transparency for our team members, allowing them to have visibility of their meal breaks and confidence that they can take their entitled meal break, knowing that there is coverage for their department."

Opposition over break policy

But the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) expressed opposition over the new policy, which pointed out that it could make workers take shorter breaks.