Palletways Push for Equality
Here at BFRS we believe strongly in equality and a balanced working environment hence why we have a diverse group of staff from different walks of life. No matter their age, gender, sexuality or the colour of their skin everyone gets an even chance with us and that’s why it’s great to see our partnering companies have the same values of equality.
A big discussion in recent years is the diversity of a workplace and ensuring everyone has equal opportunity within any given sector, especially when it comes to industries that are considered male or female dominated. That’s why we are giving a special mention to Palletways who are trying to break the mould of Logistics being a male dominated sector with their new initiative to increase the number of women in roles of power and management.
Below we have some words from Palletways and their staff about this increase of women working in the industry.
Traditionally, the world of logistics has been seen as a male-dominated industry, but Palletways UK is spearheading a drive to ensure that as many women as possible recognise it as a pathway for a rewarding and fulfilling career.
Record numbers of women are joining the Palletways UK workforce and the company has seen a 25% year-on-year increase in female employees. Now, with International Women’s Day upon us, the company has explained why so many women find a career at Palletways UK so appealing.
It has been estimated that of the 125 million people who work in the international logistics sector, only around 2% of the global workforce are women. In the UK, the situation is much better, where around 19% of the workforce are women and Palletways UK wants to drive these numbers up even higher. There were 99 female employees working at Palletways in 2021 and this rose by almost a quarter to 124 in 2022 as women increasingly see the sector as offering an appealing career path.
Jennifer Mosley-Bradley, Head of HR for Palletways UK, said:
“There is no doubt that women are under-represented in this sector which is why we have an awareness drive to bring more women into the logistics industry.
“We are proud to say that our efforts are really paying dividends with such a massive year-on-year increase in female employees and we will continue to work hard to attract even more women into this exciting sector. Of our female workforce, 28% are in entry level roles, 24% in Intermediary positions, 40% are in manager roles, 2% are in driver roles and 4% are Directors or Heads of Departments.
“The initial hurdle is getting women to consider a career in the logistics in the first place which is why we are working hard to correct this gender imbalance. We increasingly find that women are intrigued by what a career in logistics could offer them and once they come on board they find that there is a world of opportunities that they never even knew existed.
“We actively encourage all employees, regardless of gender, to rise within the company and that no roles are off limit for the right people. There is no ‘glass ceiling’ at Palletways UK and we are delighted that so many more women are choosing to work here and are finding this industry to be both fulfilling and rewarding.”
A great example of this is Jenny O’Brien, who has recently been promoted to the key role of Head of Fulfilment based at the company’s Fradley Park Distribution HQ.
Jenny joined the company 19-years ago as a customer service worker and now heads up a nine-strong team to ensure the busy fulfilment centre, which houses up to 6,000 pallets at any one time, runs like clockwork. She got the job after identifying key areas where the fulfilment centre could operate more efficiently to meet targets, provide a better service for customers and boost employee satisfaction.
When management offered her an interim role to implement the changes she had suggested, she jumped at the chance and was rewarded with promotion to Head of Fulfilment after meeting or exceeding company targets.
Jenny said:
“I did not see this as a long-term career path when I first joined Palletways but I quickly saw the opportunities for advancement and found that I loved the challenges that working in such a fast-paced sector brings.
“I would recommend this industry to any woman who is looking for a career that may be a little out of the ordinary and where no two days are the same. My job is ensuring the efficient day-to-day running of the fulfilment operation so that we hit out targets, keep staff motivated and keep our customers happy… but it is so much more than that.
“I love coaching and mentoring to bring out the best in people and I love working for a company where there are no limits to what employees can achieve… and that applies equally to men and women.”
To read the original article from pallet ways, click here...
Absolutely amazing! If given the chance the results are evident that you can do any role no matter your gender, as long as you have the experience and the know how anything is possible.
We have so many more brilliant news stories of forces friendly organisations going the extra mile to break stereotypes and push the boundaries of what someone can do, please read our blogs page to see more from our partnering companies.
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