Retail workers’ union says Myer staff left ‘anxious, sleepless’ by company’s use of M-Metrics app to calculate performance score

Myer employees are being forced to endure a “psychosocial hazard” even outside of work, as a union takes their case to a tribunal.

Christmas shoppers outside the Myer Center n Rundle Mall. Picture: NewsWire / David Mariuz

Myer’s staff are stressed and sleepless over an app that rates their performance – potentially forcing a meeting with their boss – over matters such as store airconditioning, a union complaint says.

An SA Employment Tribunal notice said Myer staff “check their performance percentage” before arriving at work in case it had dropped, to prepare for a meeting with managers.

The powerful Shoppies retail workers’ union (SDA) lodged the dispute against Myer in May.

In a summary of the dispute, the union said Myer used M-Metrics, a digital system that rated retail employees based on customer reviews, and employees were directed to meet with management staff when they “receive a rating from a customer below eight”.

Screenshot from the M Metrics app that has allegedly resulted in sleeplessness and anxiety for Myer staff. Picture: Google Play Store

The notice said the customer feedback sometimes did “not relate in any way to the performance or conduct of the employee”, with customers giving poor ratings because of a lack of staff on the floor, airconditioning issues, long wait times and the store lift not working.

“Workers have reported increased anxiety, sleeplessness, lack of confidence and lack of self-worth due to the respondent’s use of M-Metrics,” the notice said.

A worker poll by the union found 85 per cent of respondents agreed M-Metrics was a “psychosocial hazard” and 75 per cent believed they or their colleagues have had a “negative mental health outcome” because of Myer’s use of the app.

Myer’s 2024 annual report said M-Metrics was a “leading” digital app, providing team members with “performance analytics and verbatim customer feedback … in the palm of their hand”, laying a foundation for “empowering our team members”.

Screenshot from the M Metrics app that has allegedly resulted in sleeplessness and anxiety for Myer staff. Picture: Google Play Store

A Myer spokesman said the company was changing its customer feedback program.

“We’ve been in discussions with our store health and safety representatives and the SDA over the past several weeks to hear their concerns and resolve the dispute,” he said.

“These have been very constructive conversations and we’re in the process of implementing appropriate changes to our customer feedback program.”

Representatives of Myer and the union are scheduled to meet on Wednesday for a second round of talks.

An SDA spokeswoman said while details of the talks were confidential, the union was “pretty confident that this process and the dispute we’ve lodged is going to lead to some positive outcomes”.

The dispute, which has national consequences for Myer, was lodged in South Australia because it was made possible by changes to state WHS legislation enacted last year.

Industrial relations lawyer Paris Dean said the changes allowed workers and unions to lodge their own WHS disputes with the employment tribunal, which could impose a resolution if the parties could not resolve the dispute.

Originally published as Retail workers’ union says Myer staff left ‘anxious, sleepless’ by company’s use of M-Metrics app to calculate performance score