Warehouse management is a tricky area for small business managers. It’s critical to the business’s supply chain and it is even more important to have a strong support network that will allow the warehouse to operate efficiently.

Warehouse employees are the heart and soul of warehouse operations. Their productivity depends on their wellbeing and ability to implement efficient processes in the supply chain. The more they improve, the more profitable the warehouse will be.

Here are some handy ways to improve employees’ wellbeing at your warehouse.

Leverage the power of solar

Natural sunlight positively impacts the moods, behaviours and health of employees. Workers are generally happier in their working environment, more productive and there tends to be less absenteeism. Research from a study titled “Impact of Workplace Daylight Exposure and Sleep, Physical Activity and Quality of Life” concludes that there is a strong relationship between workers exposure to daylight and the quality of their sleep, which impacts their productivity.

Your warehouse can leverage the power of the sun in ways such as:

Installing solar tubes and skylights

Opt for a natural lighting solution by installing skylights in your warehouse. Additionally, the warehouse should install solar tubes to light up dark areas around the warehouse.

Installing mirrors

Mirrors can be used to reflect more natural light around the warehouse.

Have an open area that lets more light in

If it is possible, open up areas of the warehouse so that more natural light comes into employees working area. Additionally, breakout spaces that expose employees to natural sunlight are also popular. For example rooftop garden or a balcony.

Improve the quality of your artificial lighting by investing in LED lights

Warehouses can now get led lights that mimic the properties of natural sunlight. High Bay LED lights are the best solution that warehouses should install. However, things could improve in the future after Italian light designers created a blue LED light that imitates daylight. You can see it in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnslvi_qaa0?showinfo=0

LED lights also use less energy, which means it will reduce the overall overhead cost of running your warehouse. Many warehouses report up to 60% in savings after they’ve retrofitted their warehouse with LEDs.

Provide your employees with a wellness program

Businesses that have a wellness programs typically report higher operating profits than businesses who don’t. The Harvard Business Review stated that there was a return of $2.71 for every dollar spent on wellness programs. There are several benefits to the business as well as employees. These include:

• A reduction in employee absenteeism.
• Higher employment productivity.
• Reduction in workers compensation costs.
• Improvement in employee morale.

Some of the ways you can introduce wellness programs into your business include:

• Providing employees with a gym membership.
• Building a corporate gym for your employees.
• Offering employees private health insurance.
• Partnering with health food suppliers.

Reward your employees with incentive programs

Richard Branson once said that a company’s most valuable assets are its people. He believes that they are like flowers and that the more you shower them with gratitude and praise, the more they will flourish.

Employees should always be thanked for their service and ways that employers can share their appreciation include:

• Providing them with gifts.
• Providing them with awards (such as employee of the month)
• Promoting their working title.
• Raising their salary.

Improve employees’ comfort in the warehouse

People want to feel like they are doing their job effortlessly. Ask employees if they would like to participate in any training or if there are any tools, software or machine upgrades that they believe will increase their productivity.

The tips that have been provided typically save businesses around 50% in costs every year and multiplies their profits. If you would like your warehouse to experience similar cost and productivity rewards, start implementing a program today!