I do not know where all this warehouse staff get paid fantastic money is coming from. Do truck drivers believe all the BS they are told when they are chatting when tipping?
I worked in the food manufacturing sector for 15 years and worked my way up to a decent managerial role through blood sweat and tears and so much ■■■ licking you wouldn’t believe. When I got there I absolutely hated it.
I was on 36K a year basic (With a percentage bonus that never got paid due to unrealistic expectations) for a 42 hour week. (4on 4off & 3’s & 2’s) 13 weeks paid sick pay (Never had a day off in 10 years so never needed), 23 days holiday and a pretty average company pension.
For that I was in charge of 50+ people, had to deal with agency who couldn’t speak English, had to deal with all training (Make sure everyone is fully trained in all aspects, H&S etc), H/R issues (Disciplinaries, hiring staff, arguments between staff, wage discrepancies and holiday booking), H&S (Making sure all accident investigations are done and outstanding H&S issues are chased up and fixed). That’s before you even worry about completing the plan for the day! This is because of “streamlining” and more and more workload being pushed onto us so the company could save money on peripheral staff and make everything online.
In the end I had enough of it as the stress was just too much. Sleepless nights worrying where you are going to get staff from for the next day as there is a massive shortage as well. I then decided to do my class 1 licence as it was relatively quick to do and is guaranteed money. It is also a licence to work. I can go anywhere in the world and work and when I retire I can do the odd weekend here and there for some extra cash.
Yes I have less days off now and work more hours in the week but I am also on 37k+ a year as a new pass and have every weekend off which I haven’t had for at least ten years. Do I feel the £ per hour is a little low? Yes I do but this large company took me on no quarrels as a new pass and gave me a job. Once I have a solid year experience down I will go somewhere else where they will pay what I desire.
The stress is none existent now apart from where I have to reverse in a busy yard but that has come down and down as I have improved with time. The rest of the job is very enjoyable and relaxing, listening to the radio or doing my own things whilst waiting to be tipped. I had a collection from a farm in Coningsby and right next to that in the gleaming sunshine they had the Lancaster out on display which I would have never got to see working behind 4 walls in some crappy factory.
My old place had a 5 level grading system for its hourly paid staff with £12.50 (It was even less but recently had a 50p pay rise in January to get people through the doors) being the top paid job but that was more team leader role. Forklift drivers were a level below that at around £11.50. They also had to clock in and out for breaks which meant that hourly rate goes down. In a 42 hour week they only got paid for 37.6 all in.