Warehouse workers are the backbone of retail, so why aren’t they feeling the love? 

The unseen challenge 

It’s easy to forget what you can’t see, and in many businesses, warehouse teams slip off the radar. These roles are physically demanding, often isolated and typically left out of the day-to-day culture. That disconnect wears people down and makes them feel miles away from the rest of the team. Suddenly, it stops feeling like “we” and starts feeling like “us and them.” 

But it’s a business problem as much as a culture one. Research shows that active employee engagement can boost productivity by 12%, and companies with strong recognition programs see up to 14% better performance. 

If your culture isn’t cutting it, morale drops, errors spike and your best people won’t stay for long. 

1. Celebrate what’s working: close the feedback loop 

Listening’s always good, but acting on what you hear is what really builds trust. Quick check-ins during team huddles or through your company culture platform can help you spot what’s going well and what could be better. 

Try questions like: 

• “What’s slowing your shift?” 
• “What small change would help today?” 
• “What are you proud of this week?” 

If someone suggests a quick fix, don’t overthink it. Whether it’s moving a scanner or sorting out a rostering snag, take action and let them know it’s been done. Then celebrate the solution with a shout-out, a Flexi Perk or a morning tea to show them their input matters. That’s how trust (and morale) starts to build. 

Perkbox tip: Want to surface more great ideas? Run a quick survey to gather suggestions from the team. A platform like Perkbox can help you recognise their input and shine a proper spotlight on the people making it happen.  

2. Learning by doing: job-sharing and shadowing 

Not everyone walks into work with a five-year plan – but they might find one if you give them the chance.  

Job-shadowing and role swaps open up new perspectives, like packers learning from team leads or forklift operators stepping into a different role for the day. These small experiences can build confidence and show people what’s possible beyond their current shift.  

Perkbox tip: Shine a light on mentoring moments through your intranet or Perkbox Culture hub and offer micro-rewards or public shout-outs to those who take part. It’s a simple way to boost visibility and keep the momentum going.  

3. Spotlight your MVPs 

Recognition hits different when it comes from your peers. There’s something about it that just feels so much more personal and powerful.  

Try running a monthly “Warehouse MVP” shout-out based on things like accuracy, teamwork or safety. Let the team nominate via a quick poll, celebrate the winner on posters, at team meetings or with a spotlight on your internal platform. 

And with 83.6% of employees saying they feel more motivated when their efforts are recognised, it’s a small gesture with serious impact.  

Perkbox tip: Let teams vote using quick surveys, spotlight your MVP on the company intranet or comms channel, and send a personalised reward to lift morale without blowing the budget. Perkbox makes all of that easy to run from one place. 

4. Morning tea with meaning 

Tea’s not a miracle cure, but it comes pretty close. Add a biscuit and a bit of banter, and before you know it – the team’s reset, recharged and less likely to throw hands over the picking list. 

• Hosting a themed morning tea each quarter helps keep things fresh and fun. Ideas could include: 
• Freedom Feast to celebrate the end of peak periods 
• Footy Fridays with team colours and snacks 
• Cultural celebration mornings with food from different backgrounds 
• Team-curated playlists and photo booths for some low-effort, high-vibe energy  

Perkbox tip: Send out invites, snap a few photos and tag attendees. Give credit to the organisers while you’re at it – people remember these moments more when they’ve had a hand in making them happen. Perkbox’s Celebrations feature takes care of the logistics, so you can focus on making it feel like a moment worth remembering. 

5. Prioritise physical wellbeing 

Nobody in a warehouse is worrying about too much time sitting in a chair. Instead, it’s sore backs, dodgy knees and full-body fatigue by lunchtime. 

In a job this physical, employee physical wellbeing needs to be front and centre if you want your team to last the distance. 

You could offer:  

• Stretch and walking breaks  
• Hydration stations and cooling fans  
• Ergonomic tools  
• Guided wellbeing content like meditation or yoga  

Perkbox tip: Use tools like Perkbox and schedule weekly touchpoints like post-shift yoga or breathing exercises. Promote them in break areas or add QR codes to posters so they’re easy to access on the go.  

Why all this matters 

A strong company culture means good vibes and good business. It means people make fewer errors, take more pride in their work and grow into leaders from within. They stay because they want to, not because they have to.  

In fact:  

• Recognition programs boost profitability by 21% 
• 77.9% of employees say regular recognition makes them more productive 
• Workplaces that invest in diversity, wellbeing and empowerment score 85% on their engagement surveys  

A final word 

This stuff matters more than motivational posters and pizza days. If your warehouse teams feel supported, seen and like they have space to grow, they’ll stay loyal and bring their best to every shift because they know it matters.  

A company culture platform like Perkbox helps you build on that energy and make it scalable – from feedback and recognition to rewards and wellbeing, all in one place.