This PhD research project is about automation and new technologies in Coles and Woolworths warehouses and supermarkets. We are interested in what these changes mean for workers. We are interviewing people who work, or have worked, in Coles and Woolworths warehouses. We are also interviewing people who work as ‘personal shoppers’ or ‘online pickers’ for home delivery. During the interview, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the nature of their workday, technologies they use at work, and if automation has impacted upon the work they do. Findings from the research will provide new insights into how automation is experienced by different workers and how this may impact their experience of work.

Anyone aged 18 years or older who has worked in a Coles or Woolworths warehouse or supermarket is eligible to take part in this research. All interviews are anonymous and you do not need your employer’s permission to be eligible.

All information will be anonymous. This means that your name will not be used in any publications or other outputs that arise from this research (such as books, journal articles, reports, presentations and media). You will be referred to by job title and employer. For example, “Picker at automated warehouse, Woolworths.”

If you prefer, you can request to be referred to by generic job title only.

For example, “Forklift driver.”

Even with these precautions taken to protect your identity, there is a risk your employer could identify you and retaliate against you for taking part in this research project. Please consider this risk when deciding whether to participate in this project or not. If you would like to clarify how you will be de-identified before agreeing to participate you can contact the researcher to discuss.

You are invited to take part in an interview that would take approximately 60 minutes. The interview can take place online, over the phone, or in person. During the interview, you will be asked to reflect on your workday, the technologies you use, and the impact of automation. With your permission, the interview will be recorded and later transcribed so we can ensure an accurate record of what you say. Your comments are completely anonymous which means information such as your name or place of work will not be shared with anyone outside the research group, including your employer. You do not need your employer’s permission to participate.

After the interview you will receive a $50 Visa gift card as a token of appreciation.

During the interview you can:

·       Pause or stop the interview,

·       Withdraw any comments made,

·       Pass on questions you don’t wish to answer.

After the interview you can also call the researcher to clarify or withdraw any comments made.

Only the principal researcher (Lauren Kelly, RMIT) will have access to your original data. The audio files and transcribed documents will be stored securely on the researcher’s password-protected laptops, and on the password-protected cloud storage site with RMIT which has been specifically designed to provide secure storage for researchers. The data will be destroyed when the project is finalised.  

If you would like more information or have any questions about the project, please contact:

Lauren Kelly (Principal researcher, RMIT). Email: lauren.kelly@rmit.edu.au.