Hi Renata – my call centre workmates and I are feeling like ‘zombies’ rather than valued team members. Our employer expects us to begin taking calls precisely at the start of our shift, requiring us to properly load and prepare the necessary systems before then in our own time, but being cautioned against logging in before the start of our shift. We are penalised with unpaid work time for technical issues such as internet disconnections beyond our control. Despite achieving satisfactory outcomes, we are marked down for not transferring customers to surveys.
Our time is micromanaged with restroom breaks treated as luxuries. There is increasing pressure from management to reduce allowances for regular screen breaks. These breaks are critical for maintaining eye health, reducing fatigue, and supporting mental well-being. Staff are often being criticised or belittled for the way they resolve complex customer issues. We do not receive adequate support breaks or fair treatment.
There are also physical hazards such as persistent, loud, high-pitched noises and ergonomic hazards. Our employer is constantly making false promises with no actual resolution. It is very frustrating!
Reading this message makes me feel anxious on behalf of all call centre employees. Call centres can be incredibly difficult and stressful work environments.
Many of the matters that you raise relate to psychosocial workplace hazards. You can read more about such hazards and the workplace factors that place you and your colleagues at risk of harm on our OHSReps page Psychosocial Hazards - OHS Reps. Such hazards clearly constitute an OHS risk. You have also identified physical hazards in your workplace - persistent, loud, high-pitched noises and ergonomic hazards may not cause an immediate injury but are certain to over a period of time. It is important that all identified hazards are reported via your employer’s hazard or incident reporting mechanism – without the data your employer will not act to resolve the issues. This is easy for us to say, but without robust OHS structures raising and resolving OHS issues can be almost impossible. You can find information about the hazards you are experiencing here Call Centres - OHS Reps.
The OHS Act defines the rights and powers that you and your colleagues have and also your employer’s duties and obligations in relation to OHS matters. It also covers your protections against discrimination. Your employer may need to be reminded of s.76 of the OHS Act which prohibits them from taking retaliatory actions against an employee for raising a health and safety issue. I am not sure if you have an employee-elected health and safety representative (HSR) or if you are a union member, but HSRs and unions are best situated to have that conversation with your employer.
You and your designated work group members have a right to be represented in the resolution of OHS matters - Part 7 of the OHS Act covers representation matters. You can find information about employee representation here Representation - OHS Reps, including links to our ‘Getting OHS Representation Right – A Guide for Workers’ and to WorkSafe’s ‘Employee Representation Guide’.
When a matter that affects or is likely to affect the health and safety of employees is identified your employer has a duty under the OHS Act to consult with employees, and where possible, with their HSRs. The details of what matters must be consulted on and when are clearly defined in s.35 of the Act. You can find information about consultation on our OHSReps page Duty to consult - OHS Reps, including links to WorkSafe Victoria’s consultation advice and a link to our Record of Consultation form so that you can keep a clear record of who said what and what was agreed.
The issue resolution section at part 2.2 of the OHS Regulations is very clear about the involvement of HSRs in resolving OHS issues in the workplace and defines the steps that must be taken to resolve any safety matters that arise. Check our OHSReps page Issue Resolution Procedures - OHS Reps for guidance on how the process should work – also check your workplace’s policy/procedure for issue resolution. If you believe that your employer’s issue resolution procedure does not meet the requirements of the process defined in the Regulations, you can elect to use the Regulations version as the default process.
Another theme in your message relates to wage theft. Whilst this is an industrial matter and beyond our scope of providing advice, requiring staff to begin preparations for work before they log on for the day and financially penalising employees for work delays that are beyond their control is wage theft. As of January 1st, 2025, wage theft has become a criminal offence. Your union and any union delegate on site are the best people for you to talk to about this matter.
Of course, knowing your rights is only half the battle – you’ve got to have the power to enforce your rights under the law, and health and safety. Your elected health and safety representative has rights and powers to take OHS issues up with management and follow through to get things done. If you don’t already have an HSR, then you should start talking to your colleagues. I would recommend contacting your relevant union which can provide advice on issues, including this one, guide you through the process of electing a rep, and provide training to ensure you’re supported with any future OHS issues.