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For Retail Workers, Big Bro Is Tracking

Computer systems help max productivity, cut costs

By Laurel Jorgensen,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 10, 2008 6:37 AM CDT
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(Newser) – As a sluggish economy pinches retailers, many are now turning to computer programs to track employee productivity, the Wall Street Journal reports. At Ann Taylor stores, a computer system calculates average sales per hour, units sold, and dollars per transaction —then automatically schedules the best workers during the store’s peak hours.

Vendors of the programs —also in use at stores like Gap, Limited, and Williams-Sonoma —say they can boost productivity by 15% and cut labor costs by 5%. But some employees aren’t happy about the monitoring. “There was a lot of animosity” toward the system, a former Ann Taylor employee says. “Computers aren’t very forgiving when it comes to an individual’s life.”

Customers shop for back-to-school clothes at Macy's on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007 in New York.
Customers shop for back-to-school clothes at Macy's on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
In this May 21, 2008 file photo, a Gap customer buys clothes at a Gap store in Palo Alto, Calif.
In this May 21, 2008 file photo, a Gap customer buys clothes at a Gap store in Palo Alto, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
In this May 23, 2007 file photo, a customer shops at a Gap store in Palo Alto, Calif.
In this May 23, 2007 file photo, a customer shops at a Gap store in Palo Alto, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
AnnTaylor Stores Corp. uses what it calls the Ann Taylor Labor Allocation System to schedule high-performing workers during busy hours.
AnnTaylor Stores Corp. uses what it calls the "Ann Taylor Labor Allocation System" to schedule high-performing workers during busy hours.   (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
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There's been resistance to thinking about human beings as pieces in a puzzle rather than individuals. When you have those clear methods of measurement, it's a natural transition to apply it to human resources as well. - Ex-HR exec for the Gap

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Williams Sonoma • productivity • retail stores • Gap • Limited • Ann Taylor

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