survey reveals warehouse
employees’ workplace priorities
Pay and job security dominate the wish lists of hourly employees working in warehouses and distribution centers, according
to the fourth annual warehouse employee opinion survey published by staffing firm ProLogistix.
The survey asked 1,624 respondents to identify—out of a
possible nine choices—the most important criteria in looking
for a job. About 54 percent cited “pay” as either their first or
second most important criterion, while 47 percent chose “job
security.”
Those criteria also topped the list in 2008 and 2009, but they
were more dominant in those years than they were in 2010. The
biggest increase in 2010 came in the category of “benefits”; 22
percent of the respondents to the 2010 survey cited benefits as
either the first or second-ranked criterion, up from 14 percent
in 2009. This is the fourth consecutive year ProLogistix has
conducted the survey.
The survey also found employees were more willing to work
less-desirable shifts if needed to ensure job security. About 42
percent said they would be willing to work the midnight-to-seven a.m. shift, commonly known as the graveyard shift. That’s
an increase from 31 percent in 2009 and 26 percent in 2008.
About 68 percent said they would work weekend shifts, if necessary, as a condition of employment, up from 53 percent in 2009.
Brian Devine, a ProLogistix division vice president who oversees the study, said the increasing willingness of workers to
show up for less-desirable shifts was the most striking finding
from the study. The trend illustrates how “open and flexible”
workers have become in order to preserve or solidify their
employment status, Devine said.
The survey’s findings indicated warehouse workers were not
spared the job cuts spawned by the deep recession. When asked
why they left their previous job, 46 percent—by far the largest
percentage of respondents—said they were laid off due to a
lack of work. That was up from 34 percent in 2009.
The survey respondents were either ProLogistix employees
working in warehouses and DCs, full-time workers employed by
ProLogistix’s clients, or ProLogistix applicants with at least six
months’ experience. About 68 percent of the respondents had
three or more years of logistics experience, and 44 percent were
between the ages of 35 and 54. Devine said the age of respondents has been gradually trending up since the survey began.
The survey’s geographic sampling excluded the West Coast
and select areas of the Northeast. Devine said those areas were
not covered because ProLogistix does not have staffing operations there. He added that the survey’s sampling size and characteristics were large and comprehensive enough that adding
those population centers “wouldn’t have moved the needle
that much.” ;
ground breakers
; Save-A-Lot plans to open a 325,000-square-
foot grocery distribution center in Lexington,
N.C., to support its growth in North Carolina and
the surrounding states. The new building will be
a state-of-the-art food DC featuring the latest in
green technologies, including lights that only
operate when a person is present and an HVAC
system that uses smart thermostats.
; Phillips-Van Heusen is moving its Georgia
distribution facility from Austell to McDonough
to be closer to the Port of Savannah. The apparel maker’s plans call for consolidating operations
from Austell and Jonesville, N.C., at the 852,000-
square-foot McDonough facility as well as shifting shipments from the Port of Charleston to the
Port of Savannah.
; Caterpillar Logistics Services Inc. has
opened a 96,875-square-foot facility, known as
the China Logistics Center (CLC), in Suzhou,
China. The new center provides inbound logistics support, bonded and non-bonded warehousing support and distribution, and line side
replenishment for Caterpillar’s manufacturing
operations in the Asia-Pacific region.
; Lennox Industries has opened a 130,000-
square-foot regional distribution center in
Middletown, Pa., outside of Harrisburg. The area
was chosen for its strategic location within the
Interstate 81 corridor. Lennox is a manufacturer of
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
; Trelleborg Wheel Systems is relocating its
North American headquarters and distribution
operations within Ohio. Its headquarters will
move to Fairlawn, which will allow for future
expansion. The distribution center will move to
a separate facility in Akron that offers easier
highway access and greater storage capacity.
The relocations are expected to be finalized in
early 2011.
; Online retailer Gilt Groupe Inc. has opened a
distribution center in Louisville, Ky. The 303,000-
square-foot warehouse, the company’s largest
to date, will handle order fulfillment for online
sales of men’s and home merchandise. Gilt
Groupe has hired Quiet Logistics to manage the
new facility.
