Domino’s, the pizza conglomerate, is rolling out a smart pizza scanner in Australia and New Zealand to analyse whether food items have been prepared correctly. In-store cameras will check for pizza type and measure toppings distribution and accuracy. If internal quality standards are not met or if the food does not match the order, workers would have to make the pizzas again.
The official spokesperson for Domino claims that the Pizza Checker is used to train the staff members on the ground. However, the Pizza Checker will be linked to a ‘scorecard’ bonus for franchises and thus used to suss out underperforming stores.
Read the full article on The Guardian: The Domino’s ‘pizza checker’ is just the beginning – workplace surveillance is coming for you
Analysis:
Is it problematic that companies are tracking workers and that workplace surveillance is becoming more pervasive and sophisticated? While most employees have reconciled with the fact that employers may check their emails and measure how much time they waste on social media, it becomes more problematic when employers are scrutinising their employees every move and start treating their employees like robots rather than humans.
For instance, Amazon patented an ultrasonic wristband for fulfilment associates who work in warehouses to prepare the packages to send out to customers. This wristband nudges their hands to pick up the correct items but it also precisely tracks their movement within the warehouse. While it can be deemed as a labour-saving measure, it can also be interpreted as sophisticated workplace surveillance methods which castigate employees for wasting time.
Questions for further personal evaluation:
- Do you think that workplace surveillance is necessary? Why or why not?
- If employers did not track or monitor Internet usage in the office, do you think employees would waste time on the Internet instead of doing their work? Why or why not?
Useful vocabulary:
- ‘purveyor’: a person who sells or deals in particular goods
- ‘benign’: mild and favourable