Modern warehouses are putting employees first
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In the past, warehouses were seen as almost anti-employee. While other spaces, such as the office, where given modern updates that supported and nourished the employee’s wellbeing, warehouses were all too often stuck in a post-Victorian landscape. And without doubt, that is still true today, in many areas; Amazon warehouses, for example, are not known for putting employees first. However, that corporation is proving to be an exception rather than the rule itself. By and large, modern warehouses are employee-friendly spaces.
This has been driven by improvements in equipment, warehouse organisation, and software incorporation. The end result has been an improved working environment that boosts productivity and employee retention. So how are companies achieving this? Let’s take a look.
Lifestyle centres
Offices around the world are slowly catching up with the Silicon Valley way of doing things. They’re investing in their employees’ wellbeing by adding relaxation and wellness spaces into the working environment. And warehouse owners are beginning to take note of the benefits that this can bring. Top of the line warehouses can feature basketball courts, soccer fields, gyms, and even beauty stations. This is a product of the idea that if a worker is physically and mentally well, they’ll be able to perform to the best of their ability.
Investing in equipment
There are some things that warehouse workers have to do, but which they’d rather not. Take heavy lifting, for example. This is something that even the ones with an eye on fitness don’t want to do all the time. As such, investing in equipment that’ll do the heavy lifting for them is one of the best ways that warehouse owners can support their workers. A lot has been made of robots in warehouses. And in truth, the talk may have been overblown; employees are most definitely needed. But robots can have a function when it comes to doing repetitive or potentially dangerous tasks.
Spacious and clear
There’s no avoiding the fact that warehouses are generally more dangerous than other workspaces. But they can still be safe. The first step towards maintaining employee safety is ensuring that the warehouse is kept spacious and clear. There are many ways that owners do this, including ensuring that they have enough warehouse racking to store items and that the aisles are wide enough to pass through easily. An emphasis on cleanliness is also paramount, since studies have shown that more accidents occur in messy and unclean environments.
Intelligent systems
Warehouse owners are also investing in advanced, intelligent systems that help to make the employees’ lives easier. For example, there’s software that can help control and manage inventory, give up to date order information, and automate workflows and processes that might otherwise take up valuable time or which is simply boring. With new technology and software coming out all the time, this is something that we’ll see more of in the coming years. This will be especially true once AI that’s built specifically with warehouse operations in mind becomes more widespread.
