Peninsula Group, HR and Health & Safety Experts
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Peninsula Group, HR and Health & Safety Experts
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From selecting skilled drivers to dealing with logistics operations… The transport and warehousing industry is filled with all sorts of employment specifications. This vast sector covers businesses who offer transportation and haulage across rail, road, sea, and air.
As a complex and high-risk industry, it falls on employers to ensure their HR department complies with strict regulations and proper working practices. That goes for all members of staff – no matter if they’re in the warehouse or on the road.
Any evidence of neglect found within your HR practices could result in devastating consequences. Like, business closure, criminal prosecutions, industrial action, and even fatalities.
For more information on transport and warehousing HR, speak to one of our expert HR advisors today. Now, let’s take a look at ways employers can improve their HR services to encourage success in their transport or warehousing business:
Government research found that 11% of businesses reported missed deliveries due to a lack of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers. The case is the same in the rail industry, as cancellations and business disruptions result from a shortage of train drivers, guards, and managers.
Transport and warehousing employers should recognise the root cause of labour shortages found within their business. Along with the help of your HR team, you’ll be able to hire talented, skilful, and experienced individuals who’ll strive within their role and the business.
Let’s look at ways transport and warehousing HR teams can help improve their businesses:
Recruitment: Employers need to attract the right candidates, whilst following strict selection processes. This ensures the right candidates who meet driving or logistics requirements will be able to make it through your recruitment methods.
Retention: The transport industry faces high employee turnover due to demanding work schedules, low wages, and lack of skills development. HR teams should aim to address any issues that are affecting the business’s retention rates.
Job adverts: From buses to trains, transport advertising is a great way to attract potential applicants into the industry. Ask your HR teams to place a specific focus on hiring younger workers into the industry. Not only will this encourage fresh skillsets, but it’ll also improve retention in the long run.
Working in transport and warehousing requires all kinds of specialist skillsets, qualifications, and experiences. That’s why employers must ensure proper policies are in place, the correct training is available, and all regulations are complied with.
Failure to follow these requirements can lead to serious consequences. The government outlines numerous examples; like significant fines, driving licence suspensions, and even potential prosecution.
Let’s look at ways transport and warehousing HR teams can help improve their businesses:
Staff training: In the transport and warehousing industry, the complexity of work duties varies depending on what type or products or materials are being moved. It’s crucial for workers to have specialised training in managing goods. Training may require regular reviews, proper certification, and continuous skills progression.
Staff development: A great way to retain valuable and talented employees is through growing their skillsets. Employers should invest in staff development to help employees advance in their roles, experiences, and overall careers.
Apprenticeships: Employers can benefit from investing in hiring apprentices. Not only does this invest in the younger, talented generation; but it also sets the foundations for life-long skills and career growth within your business.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) found that full-time workers in the UK transport and storage industry worked around 42 hours per week on average – three hours higher than the recommended legal amount.
Transport businesses must ensure proper working conditions and regulations are followed. This duty falls to employers, line managers, and their HR department.
Let’s look at ways transport and warehousing HR teams can help improve their businesses:
Working hours: Drivers usually have complex rotas and long working hours. Employers must ensure they adhere to legal working hours regulations. This includes using tachographs to ensure proper working hours, breaks, and driving regulations are followed.
Company vehicles: Part of your screening processes must include performing driver license checks. Any evidence of negligence can invalidate your business insurance. Employers must check all drivers have valid licenses, whether they have current endorsements on their license, and if they’ve been disqualified from driving.
Work benefits: Increased fuel costs, vehicle regulations, and even emission taxes have heavily impacted the transport and warehousing industry. It’s important to protect your staff from financial impacts due to economic pressures. Try offering work benefits and financial support systems to help maintain a happy workforce.
According to research by Fagan & Whalley, nearly 35% of drivers admit to driving whilst being worried about falling asleep. Poor work practices like this can lead to all kinds of serious injuries and even fatalities – to drivers and others around them.
Employers must work together with their HR department to protect employee welfare and wellbeing whilst at work. This includes anything from hiring competent H&S officers to tackling driver isolation issues.
Let’s look at ways transport and warehousing HR teams can help improve their businesses:
Health & safety: The transport and warehousing industry produces all kinds of health & safety risks. Employers must ensure proper H&S compliance is followed. For example, employers should perform alcohol and drugs testing on drivers. You may need to check previous records to safeguard staff and the public.
Occupational health: The biggest occupational health issues that transport and warehousing staff face relates to fatigue and burnout. Conditions like these can cause both physical and psychological impacts. Not only can they affect staff, but it puts people in their path in danger, too.
Employee morale: Transport drivers often spend long periods away from homes and in bouts of loneliness. This can cause low employee morale, as well as isolation from the workforce. Employers should keep regular communication with remote workers like drivers, checking in on them throughout the day.
According to the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT), there are over 83,000 trade union members found in the transport industry.
It’s impossible for employers to ignore managing relations with their staff, especially during talks of strikes and industrial action. Employers should work with their HR department to stay on top of legal compliance and responsibilities.
Let’s look at ways transport and warehousing HR teams can help improve their businesses:
Employment law: There are all kinds of statutory legislations that apply in the transport and warehouse industry. For example, employers are legally allowed to dismiss an employee who’s lost their license and cannot perform their normal duties. You’ll need to assert whether driving is their main duty, how long the disqualification is, and whether the employee can be redeployed elsewhere within the business.
Trade unions: From bus drivers to packing operators… The transport and warehousing industry have exhibited numerous cases of workplace strikes and industrial actions in recent times. Employers should promote smooth relations with staff who are trade union members.
Tech and AI: The transport and warehousing industry is one that benefits vastly from technological advancements and AI innovation. From zero-emission vehicles to automated logistics systems… Employers will sooner benefit from investing in the latest technology and sustainable practices.
Long bouts of isolation, complex shift patterns, specialised driving skills, strict regulations… There are all kinds of HR issues that employers face within the transport and warehousing industry.
Peninsula offers expert advice on transport and warehousing HR. We offer specialised guidance on HR contracts and documentation – ensuring your business meets all its HR compliance. Want to find out more? Contact us on 0800 028 2420 and book a free consultation with one of our HR consultants today.
Heavy goods vehicle driver vacancies in the United Kingdom: October 2021 to March 2024 | GOV
Drivers’ hours and tachographs: goods vehicles | GOV
The hidden dangers of driver fatigue in the logistics sector… | Fagan & Whalley
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