Slave or Worker?
This question I ask myself at least once a week while working at Albert Heijn online in the city of Utrecht.
It all started well. The pay rate was decent compared to other jobs, compensation for travel to work, a day off, Dutch courses, and much more were promised to me.
But after working here for six months, I saw the true face of the management in the form of Team Leaders, the main ones in the cockpit, and the office staff.
I want to highlight Lukash separately from the Team Leaders (I may have spelled the name wrong, but the point is clear). This person initially presented himself as someone who would solve your problems, but in reality, all he does is press down on you every time. I suspect it's only to make you leave because firing is difficult.
So, let's break it down:
Norm
Their concept is "you must scan a certain amount of products per hour". Morning and day shifts in the heat: 360. In the fridge: 370 on weekends, 400. Night shift: 350. A few times there were checks, but now it's done discreetly. If you don't meet this quota, they call you into the office, reprimand you, make you sign a paper "I promise to meet this quota", or send you home right in the middle of the shift. And you will be humiliated for having a norm of 340. Is scanning 340 products per hour so little? How to meet the norm when there are periodic traffic jams in the aisles?
Office
These people only want the norm from you and for you to be an obedient wind-up toy. They call asking you to come in on your day off, someone fell ill, come in for another shift, but the pay is the same. When you need something, they'll come up with a hundred excuses not to do it. They don't care about your strengths and weaknesses. Develop? They may not even know such a word. They only know the words: humiliation and demotivation. You run with those carts like a slave, trying to do it quickly so you won't be humiliated, but as soon as you start coping, they put you on a new process where you don't meet the norm they require. You're constantly thinking about getting fired, how they'll write it up as "for low productivity". To get a night shift, for 3 weeks I went to the office and asked, but all I got were excuses. (Reminder: I've been working here for six months)
Team Leaders
These are people who do what the office tells them. There are few leaders in my shift. They behave more like directors. Few have leadership qualities. As I mentioned above about Lukash, he said, "if you don't meet the norm in the fridge, you'll only work here. No night shifts." Many people like night shifts because the pay is 150% and there are fewer people. Well, and many people find it more comfortable at night.
Discrimination
This is a word that everyone fears, but unfortunately, it's present here. If you're not from Poland or don't speak Polish, you're automatically treated as second-rate here. I'm from Ukraine and I've been learning English all my life. And you know what? My norm was 340, and my friend, who speaks Polish, had 342. One day Lukash called us in and told him to do at least 8 more, and me "you must finish this week with an average norm of 360, no less. Sign here". When I said I had stomach problems, he told me "These are your problems, and you'd better not mention them." The same goes for the office. It's run by people from Poland, and if someone asks in Polish, they're more likely to do something for them. I understand the company wants to make more money, but not at the cost of employees' mental health. The phrase "that's how it is with Ukrainians" has been said in front of me more than once.
Dirt and Stench
There were checks, but that didn't help much either. Stand in the last aisle in the fridge. I feel sick every time I go there. It's dirty in many places. People don't clean up products that fall on the floor because they're in a hurry to meet the norm. And it's good if someone picks it up for them, but more likely, it will go back on the shelf. Even if it's been lying under the shelf for a long time. Mice have started to appear. I would take pictures, but that's also prohibited here. If they catch you, they'll send you home immediately.
Suggestions
To eliminate discrimination, all management should be from the Netherlands. Team leaders should undergo interviews and checks for leadership qualities. The norm shouldn't exist at all. And to make people work better, motivation needs to be thought out. A permanent contract, not one that is renewed every month (Olympia). With this contract, nobody even rents an apartment. Find and fire those responsible for all this mess that's going on at work. Establish a transparent system for where to turn in such cases, rather than writing reviews on Google.
Conclusion
I feel like I'm not working, but selling myself.
I would like to separately mention people:
Team leaders: Lukash, Daria, Bartek (with a beard), Magda (not always)
Cockpit: Peter, who prints the norm and gives it to team leaders, and sometimes leaves you to work for half an hour longer than you should.
I understand that the company wants to earn more money, but not at the expense of employees' mental health.