All posts by Rachel Pallett

If you work for an organisation operating 24 hours a day, it’s likely you’ll find yourself working different shifts each week. Shift work can be challenging and it’s vital you stay fit and healthy. Here’s how.

Think about your food. Smaller, more frequent meals will ensure that you remain well energised, and by preparing your meals before your shift and bringing your own food to work you can ensure you make healthy choices, boosting your energy and ensuring you’re more effective and feeling well whilst at work.

What are you drinking? It can be tempting to rely on coffee to get you through the final hours of your shift, however if you do you might find it difficult to wind down once you’re home. It’s best to stick to drinking water, to make sure you remain hydrated.

To exercise or not to exercise? It’s important that you take proper breaks whilst working, and you should make sure you sit whilst you are eating. When you’re not eating, light exercise on breaks can be beneficial to a healthy body and mind; take a walk outside during your break and enjoy the fresh air!

For more information about our latest warehouse vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Let’s face it, we all face problems at work now and then. But more often than not, there’s a way of overcoming those issues – Here’s some solutions to the most common work place concerns.

You’ve made a mistake! Mistakes can happen, we are all human after all! When you make a mistake, it’s vital you own up to it and try to rectify it. Ignoring it will only make matters worse. Explain what happened to your manager and make it right.

You’ve fallen out with a work colleague. The important thing here is to be polite and professional at all times. At the end of the day, you don’t have to like everyone, but you do have to work with people professionally. If you feel bullied, speak to your manager immediately.

You’re not being recognised. Do you feel like you’re going above and beyond and no one is noticing? Don’t be afraid to highlight your achievements and successes – And you might find yourself in line for a promotion!

You’re struggling with the workload. It’s time you learnt to say no! If you’re struggling with your workload, speak to your manager immediately and explain the situation. There’s always a solution!

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

The deadline for the majority of drivers for 35 hours of CPC training required every five years is 9^th September 2024. It feels like a long way off, doesn’t it?

It’s not! At time of writing, its just 772 days. It’s probably less than that now you’re reading this.

It can feel tempting to leave the training for another day later on, with so much going on and logistics under huge demand. But the longer you leave it, the harder it could be to book your training when the time comes.

In 2019, the last time the majority of drivers needed to complete their training, many training providers had to turn drivers and companies away with demand being so high, leaving drivers unable to work and companies unable to operate.

This is a legal requirement. If you leave it to the last minute, and then can’t book your training days, you won’t be able to continue to drive.

Don’t delay! Book your training days today with our sister company WeTrainCPC

We can provide training in our Milton Keynes based training centre or online – £50+VAT per module.

For more information about our latest training opportunities or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Job fairs are a great place to sell yourself as a job seeker and find out more about available jobs. Now, as we learn to live with Covid-19, we’re meeting each other again in the real world and job fairs are becoming a popular way to find new employees. How can you make sure you make the most of each job fair you attend?

Plan ahead. Most job fairs will advertise prior to the event which employers and agencies will be attending. It’s vital you research those companies of interest to you and plan your time effectively so you’ll be able to visit their stalls.

Get your CV ready. Make sure your CV is up to date and take plenty of copies with you to give to potential employers whilst you’re speaking with them – it gives representatives a great snapshot of your experience.

What are your wearing? Dress as if you’re attending a job interview. It’s likely employers will see you before they speak with you, so make sure you make a good impression.

Be professional. Much like your dress code, treat the job fair as if you would an interview. Make sure you’re polite and professional to everyone you meet – who knows, they might be your next boss!

Gather information where possible. Ask for business cards, information and contact details where possible and follow up the job fair with a call or email to the organisation to express your interest.

For more information about our latest vacancies, contact Flexistaff on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

We all know the huge benefits of using forklifts in and around the warehouse, including when unloading goods from trucks. But if you’re not paying attention or being diligent, mistakes can happen that are both costly and dangerous. Here’s what to look out for when unloading a truck using your forklift.

Trailer curtain. Before you start make sure the curtain has been pulled back in full to ensure proper access to all pallets.

Straps. Make sure all ratchet straps and harnesses have been fully removed before you attempt to move anything, making sure pallets can move freely.

Back to front. Generally speaking, goods should be unloaded from the back of the truck to the front, unless you are directed otherwise. Tall or double stacked pallets are usually stored at the front where they can be supported by the truck body.

Watch the roof! And the truck sides of course. When you’re unloading tall or wide products knocking into the side of the truck can cause product damage.

For more information about our latest forklift vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 084556 2916 or [email protected].

The last week at work before you start a new job is odd, there’s no escaping it. Clearly there’s no point in you starting anything new, and it’s easy to feel demotivated and ready to get away from your old employer. But what should you make sure you do in your last week at work to have the best impact for yourself and your soon to be previous employer?

Stay on track. At this late stage, it can be easy to put less effort in – But don’t forget you may still be relying on your old employer for a reference! Continue to work hard and be a team player.

Check your handover. A handover document is always going to be useful to the company you leave behind – Be diligent in putting it together and try to be as helpful as possible.

Build connections. You never know when you might call on old colleagues or managers in your career in the future; gather contact details where possible, be polite, remain hard working, and ensure you continue to make a good impression.

Be dignified. Although you might be counting down the minutes until you leave, a little humility goes a long way! Be kind and helpful at all times.

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Roads come in all shapes and sizes! And at times, LGV drivers will find themselves faced with driving on VERY rural roads! Roads like this can be very different from motorways – here’s what to expect when driving on rural roads.

The roads can be narrow! Narrow roads can make it difficult to see around corners and to pass oncoming traffic safely. And sometimes narrow roads can be deceptively so! Take it slow and use your height as a benefit to see over bushes where possible.

Subsidence. Rural roads are often the victim of less maintenance and given they are in less built up areas over time roads will subside, leading to potholes and uneven surfaces. Try to stay away from the edges of rural roads where possible but thankfully for most LGVs general potholes and uneven surfaces won’t cause too much trouble.

Mud. Oh yes! As rural roads are often used by tractors and other farming vehicles they’ll often pull mud onto the road, leaving surfaces slippery. In poor weather conditions take extra care when driving across muddy surfaces.

Lack of lighting and road marks. Rural roads have far fewer road markings and lighting than most urban roads and motorways, so be aware of this and stay alert when driving at night.

For more information about our latest driving jobs, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

It’s been a pretty good early summer so far in the UK, and indications show the good weather is set to continue. Whilst the warm weather is welcome, working in extreme temperatures can be dangerous for workers – Here’s how to make sure you stay safe whilst at work.

It goes without saying – Drink plenty of water! It’s easy to forget to stay hydrated when you’re busy at work, but not drinking enough water in high temperatures is dangerous. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times!

Complicating issues? The heat can be dangerous for anyone, but those with heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes must take extra care in high temperatures – If that’s you, make sure you take any required medication as instructed, eat and rink at regular intervals and make sure you take your breaks.

Not as young as you once were? The heat can affect those aged 50 and over more so than those younger. Let your younger colleagues help where needed!

Feeling fatigued? Its’ normal to feel more tired than usual in constant high temperatures. The important thing is to be wary of pushing yourself too far; pushing your body beyond its capabilities in hot weather can lead to health complications.

And of course, if you work outside, stock up on sun cream!

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Warehouse work can be a fast paced and sometimes stressful and demanding environment. It’s vitally important work, and it is imperative that warehouse managers do everything in their power to keep the warehouse team happy and motivated. Take a look at our top tips below.

Keep it automated. The more a warehouse uses up to date technology the easier the workload will be for warehouse workers, which in turn goes a long way for morale.

It’s all about the rewards. If workers are well rewarded for high productivity, they’ll feel motivated to stay on top of their game and be well compensated.

Keep training regular. Hold training and refresher sessions regularly to give warehouse workers the opportunity to further their knowledge or ask questions is a great way to ensure people are motivated.

Are you safe? Warehouses that promote safe working conditions typically show their employees that they care and as a result are more efficient.

What about shifts? Keep shift patterns for warehouse workers as regular as possible to ensure they feel secure in their role.

For more information about our latest warehouse vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your warehouse business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

It’s happened to us all – we’ve all had an interview where we’ve walked away thinking it didn’t go so well. Perhaps you didn’t answer the questions as well as you thought you could have or didn’t prepare correctly – but never fear! Here’s our top tips for turning around an interview fail.

Take time for yourself. Take a moment to do the things that help you to de-stress, and think about what went wrong, why and how you could have reacted differently. Don’t quickly react or jump to conclusions, it’s important to take time and think it through, so you can learn from your mistakes. Also take time to think about the bits that went right!

Get in contact. We always recommend sending a thank you email to the person who interviewed you if possible – which also provides an opportunity for you to elaborate on any additional points you’ve thought of that you didn’t say in the interview. It’s also an opportunity to express your interest in a second interview – and a second chance!

After that, relax, move on and keep searching – But you never know, you might just secure that second stage interview after all!

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 01582 696959 or [email protected].