Logistics workers are the hardworking champions that have continuously kept on going through the pandemic to make everyone’s lockdown experience as smooth as possible. In our latest report, the State of the Deskless Workforce, we polled 1,200 deskless workers across the UK to get insights about their work, wellbeing, wants, and needs, both pre- and during the pandemic. For the logistics sector, this is what we found.
In the matter of career progression, before the pandemic, 65% of the logistics workers said they were planning to stay in their current job long-term. Great news for many employers, one may think, but don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. Why? First of all, during the pandemic, this number decreased to 54%. Secondly, while we see that there’s a plan to stay in their job, we also see that before the pandemic, 32% (23% during the pandemic) of the logistics workers said they don’t think their employer values the work they do. The reason? 54% think their employer sees them as a disposal or temporary resource. A number that reached 60% during the pandemic.
We know that automation is being integrated into every industry and the inescapable reality is that automation and AI are here to stay. When asked about the impact of automation, 31% of the UK logistics workers said that they’re concerned that automation will impact their employability in the future. A worry, for sure, but what’s more worrying is that only 20% of the logistics workers say they think their employer was helping them prepare for or adjust to greater automation in the workplace.
Flexibility is one of the most important factors for supply chains because of the ever changing and unpredictable nature of today's consumers’ behaviour. With that said, if you work within logistics, you certainly know how to implement flexibility in your everyday work. But how do the logistics workers feel about the flexibility they’re offered in the workplace? Here are some of our findings:.
It doesn’t stop there. When being asked about inflexible schedules, the logistics workers told us that their inflexible schedules had a major impact on their personal lives:
Easy and transparent communication between employers and employees are key to a healthy work environment. Worryingly, only 38% of logistics workers polled said they would be comfortable talking to their employer about their working conditions’ impact on their physical and mental health. Less than a third of workers said they would feel comfortable talking to their employer about scheduling issues related to their personal life.
Logistics workers are also expected to be available at all times: 80% say they’re contacted by their employer outside of working hours. How are they contacted? While 58% reported that they’re contacted by their employer via text, instant message or a phone call, only 6% reported that they’re contacted via the company’s mobile application or a proper scheduling tool.
It’s clear that UK logistics workers are experiencing some issues that shouldn’t be overlooked in the workplace. Issues that, if addressed, could help you keep your logistics workers happy, engaged and productive. Here are some recommendations on how to address them:
At the end of the day, your employees are your most valuable assets, so making sure their worries, wants and needs are addressed will work wonders to your business.
*Research conducted by Censuswide in two stages: between 11.03.2020-23.03.2020 with 1,200 deskless workers who work an hourly schedule in the following sectors: retail, hospitality and tourism, shipping/distribution, healthcare and social assistance, transportation and warehousing. Between 22.04.2020-04.05.2020 with 1,205 deskless UK workers in the same sectors. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.