Tesco online shopping picker not fast enough

[WordsFailMeYetAgain]

Hoping someone will have advice for my son.

My son is 20 (almost 21) and works at Tesco as an online shopping picker. He is also at university, will be starting his second year in October and this job is so that he has money to support himself through uni.

He has ASD, Dyslexia and is hypermobile. Tesco are aware of this and knew this when he was employed. He has been with them since September last year.

He has just come home from work and told me that he has been called into a meeting tomorrow and is worried that he is going to be let go because he is too slow. Tesco have a pick rate and my son is consistently below this due to his dyslexia primarily but also his hypermobiity which makes it difficult when the trolley is getting full.

He is in the union and I have told him that at the meeting tomorrow, he must point out his disabilities and following the meeting he must seek out his union rep and tell them what has happened.

Does anyone know whether they can legitimately get rid of him because he is slow due to his disabilities?

Can they give him a different job in the supermarket? He sounds as if he’s under pressure as a picker, and it will just make him more anxious if he can’t keep up the pace.

Good point. He has said that he wouldn't mind working on the tils. The issue would be the hours. He currently works 6am to 10:30am which fits in nicely with uni.

Can’t he have his union rep. in the meeting with him, or an advocate as he needs independent proof of what is said ?

He is in the union and I have told him that at the meeting tomorrow, he must point out his disabilities and following the meeting he must seek out his union rep and tell them what has happened.

He’s entitled to union representation at tomorrow’s meeting. I’d ask for the meeting to be delayed until he can consult with his union and arrange his union rep to attend with him. He’s been there for less than 2 years so they can let him go for any reason, other than discrimination. If you think there’s any chance his disability is a factor he really shouldn’t meet without representation. His employer would be viewed very poorly if they refused him representation and it would lend weight to any case he might build for dismissal on the grounds of disability discrimination.

I would have thought they could transfer him to something else. How long has he been there? As the longer he is there, the more he will automatically learn what and where things are. I don't know too much about the normal online shopping, but I know that on deliveroo etc. the item comes up with a picture and a location.
I work in a supermarket and we have early 4 hour shifts on replenishment, so maybe he could do that?

Has he disclosed his disabilities to them? If not he should do so now. An employer can more reasonably claim that they couldn't make adjustments if the disabilities weren't disclosed.

Tesco are aware of this and knew this when he was employed.

4th sentence in the OP. Unless you are asking whether it was him specifically that disclosed it vs someone else?

What law says he is entitled to be accompanied (not represented) at this meeting? Op has not said this is a formal disciplinary meeting.

few bits missing OP. Is this a performance review / disciplinary? Has your son had formal accommodations put in place that take in to account his disabilities? He should have had an occupational health assessment and the business could consider different jobs for him. If he’s not had formal accommodations put in to place he needs to ask for this, otherwise in a performance review meeting it’s fine to discuss underperforming. It’s what comes of that meeting that would be something to potentially worry about. I wouldn’t jump the gun just yet.

I would ask them to postpone until he can get union representative. I had to do this for my son. The union rep was brilliant and his work have been a lot better since then.

You say your son has been there almost a year, perhaps it’s an annual review/appraisal? Can he ask for clarification as to what the meeting is? Did they specifically say it was a performance review?

www.tesco.com/careers/en-GB/accessibility?srsltid=AfmBOoo7E9aGpJj4bwpprz4Xlkrg3E_peCYfG-TxH1kSR9wbUcL9nVo0

I would definitely be asking for an adjustment to his pick rate based on his disabilities. This is a reasonable adjustment.

For example if the pick rate is 60 items an hour and he is able to do 50 items an hour that is not an unreasonable reduction.

Alternatively are there other jobs he can do that are better suited to his strengths and ability.

I wonder if they are going to discuss the option of him taking on another role instead, due to his disability?

Surely they won’t say he’s too slow and let him go considering they knew about his disability when they employed him? They would get in a lot of trouble for that.

let us know how it goes x

I have eds and afaik reasonable adjustments have to be made. I’d have thought a reasonable adjustment would be having a slower pick rate target. But you also have to be capable of doing your job and maybe Tesco are bastards enough to argue he isn’t.

Big employers don’t necessarily do what they should especially if they think they can get away with it

If he is in the union then he should be taking the union rep to his meeting with him, he has a right to an advocate with him.

I would tell him to contact union rep asap and request they attend with him. I wouldn’t attend the meeting without it.

Doh, no I was just being dense!

I have done this job and you can be sure of two things -
Firstly Tesco are brutal in all matters
Secondly their required pick rate is very difficult to reach.
He must stand up for himself.

This. Perhaps being a picker isn't a good fit, but maybe he could do something else.

Actually I think they just need to set a different pick rate target for him . They could work out how below the standard rate he is and just set him an achievable one.

Why wait to get the union involved after the meeting? He is entitled to representation so should contact the union asap and ask for someone to attend the meeting with him

Judging by how you see pickers race around the stores I would say it’s definitely not a job for everyone . They don’t like customers getting in their way which says to me they are racing against the time .

I think a less pressured position might help. Our local Tesco who has shelf stackers who do that job perfectly well, but would struggle with time or other pressures as a picker or on the tills - they get paid just as well and do just as important a task.

Seems pointless as every time I order from Tesco (whoosh or regular home delivery) it’s always late - and that’s due to availability of delivery drivers or traffic for the bigger deliveries. Putting so much pressure on the store pickers at that point in the process probably has little effect on whether the customer actually receives the order at the correct time.

That won’t happen. I was a team leader in a different supermarket for home delivery and pickers are given a set amount of time to get up to the required pick rate. After that it’s a discussion to see how they can improve and if speed can’t be increased they can’t really carry on in that job.

everything is done at breakneck speed and unfortunately supermarkets need all pickers to be of the right standard.