Why peak season staffing goes wrong

Most peak problems are timing problems. The forecast is ready in September, the request reaches an agency in November, and by then every other warehouse in the postcode is asking for the same people.

Warehouse work is one of the biggest jobs in UK logistics. Logistics UK counts around 413,800 warehouse operatives in a logistics workforce of 2.6 million. That is a large pool, but in the weeks before Christmas a lot of it is already spoken for.

Step 1: turn the forecast into heads per shift

A volume forecast is not a staffing plan. Before you call anyone, work out what the extra volume means on the floor.

• Units or pallets per hour for each task: goods in, picking, packing, loading.
• Extra heads needed per shift, per week, not one total for the season.
• Which roles need a ticket, such as counterbalance or reach truck.
• Your usual absence rate, with a buffer on top for the busiest weeks.

That last one matters. If ten people are needed on the night shift and you book ten, you will be short on the first cold Monday.

Step 2: book early and book in waves

The strongest peak plans bring people in ahead of the volume. A first wave two to three weeks early gives you time to induct, train and see who is good. The second and third waves then join a floor that already has trained people on it.

1. Wave one: core temps, inducted early. Your future team leaders come from here.
2. Wave two: the main build, timed for your first heavy week.
3. Wave three: short bookings for the sharpest days only.

Step 3: get forklift authorisation right

This is the one that trips up good sites. The HSE is clear that there is no such thing as a lift-truck licence. An operator holds a certificate of basic training, and that is only the first stage.

Under the HSE approved code of practice (L117), operator training has three stages: basic training, specific job training and familiarisation on your site. An agency forklift driver can arrive with the first. The second and third have to happen with you, on your trucks, in your aisles. You should then authorise them in writing before they operate.

• Ask your agency for certificate copies before day one, not on it.
• Check the certificate matches the truck type: counterbalance and reach are not the same.
• Build familiarisation into the induction, with time set aside for it.
• Keep a record of who you have authorised and for which trucks.

Step 4: make the induction fast and repeatable

In peak you will run the same induction many times. Make it short, consistent and cohort based. Bring starters in together on set days and you will not lose a supervisor every morning.

• Site safety, fire points and pedestrian routes.
• Manual handling and the kit they will use.
• The scanner, the pick process and what good looks like per hour.
• Who to tell if they are going to be late or absent.

Step 5: protect attendance

People come back to sites that treat them well. That is not soft. It is the cheapest lever you have on attendance.

• Confirm shifts in good time and avoid cancelling at the last minute.
• Give temporary staff the same canteen, parking and welfare access as everyone else.
• Name one person on shift who looks after new starters.
• Tell your agency early about anyone who is doing well. Ask for them back.

It is also the law. Under the Agency Workers Regulations, agency workers get access to shared facilities from day one, and equal basic pay and conditions after 12 weeks in the same role.

Step 6: plan the ramp down

Peak ends on a date you already know. Agree end dates up front so nobody is surprised in January. Then decide who you want to keep. The best temps from peak are often your best permanent hires in the new year, and you have already seen them work.

What is changing for agency staffing

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is being phased in. Measures on guaranteed hours, shift notice and payment for short-notice cancellations are expected to reach agency workers in 2027, with duties shared between agencies and hirers. Dates are not final, so check the latest before you set next year’s plan. The direction is clear though: last-minute cancellations are going to cost more, which is one more reason to plan in waves.

Warehouse peak season staffing: quick answers