The Dutch supermarket giant, Albert Heijn, requested staff to upload semi-naked photos of themselves to trial a new app that could work out uniform sizes for employees. The supermarket has subsequently retracted its weird demand after wide-spread criticism.
What on earth…?
Albert Heijn were trialling a new app at a branch in Nijmegen. Many of the staff got the impression participation was mandatory but Albert Heijn say they never intended for it to be so, NRC reports.
The poster, put up in effort to recruit willing employees, read “Wear underwear or close-fitting sportswear to be able to measure the contours of your body as well as possible. And ask someone to help you take the photos.”
A spokesman for Albert Heijn told Dutch media that the company wanted to find a more efficient way of collecting all the sizes of its 100,000 workers. They believed using an app would be better than sorting through thousands of emails, the BBC reports.
Confused? So are a lot of other people
One staff member who works at the Nijmegen supermarket told NRC “At first I thought it was cool, because we are the first to wear new clothing. But when my mother took a picture of me in underwear, it felt a bit strange. ”
Hundreds of others took to social media to discuss the incident. Some were shocked by the move…
Het is echt te weinig, @albertheijn. Er is geen enkel inzicht waarom deze app ver over de grens is.
Er is in een gezagsverhouding geen sprake van vrijwilligheid. En het is onethisch om jongeren in ondergoed te fotograferen.
Met je 'het is een misverstand'https://t.co/DK4QEu23F0— Alexander Veerman (@domineeveerman) November 25, 2019
Whilst others were willing participants…
Net mijn foto naar de Albert Heijn gestuurd. Benieuwd naar de kleding! #albertheijn pic.twitter.com/cOk8nX2YVZ
— Willem de Gelder (@WdeGelder) November 26, 2019
The Data Dutch Protection Authority speaks out
They said the decision was “bizarre” and continued “As an employee in an employment relationship, you can never give free permission because the relationship is hierarchical.”
Albert Heijn’s response
Albert Heijn has cancelled the trial on Monday but already over 400 staff members had uploaded photos. “We have cancelled the pilot and we apologise to all involved.” A spokesperson said.
What do you think of this initiative? Efficient or bizarre? Let us know in the comments!
Feature image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied.
