More and more people across Illinois and the rest of the United States have begun making purchases online. This has led some warehouse employers to demand even more from their workers. As employers continue to focus more on productivity than safety, the number of warehouse workers suffering injuries on the job is likely to continue to rise.
According to CBS News, those who work for some warehouse employers are more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries than those who work for other major big-box warehouse employers.
Injury statistics
Research shows that employees who work in warehouses run by one of the nation’s largest e-commerce providers face an injury rate that is twice as high as that seen in warehouses run by some of its largest competitors. In 2020, that employer reported 6.5 injuries for every 100 workers employed there. The figure is also more than 50% higher than the injury rate seen at all American warehouses across the nation.
Contributing factors
Why is the injury rate so much higher in some warehouse environments than in others? Research indicates that one employer’s fixation on speed and productivity is a key factor. This particular warehouse employer has begun making some of its workers work long overnight shifts. With longer shifts comes a higher potential for a work injury. While warehouse employees who work for one of the nation’s largest e-commerce providers are more prone to suffering injuries than warehouse workers in other environments, they are also more likely to suffer serious injuries.
When warehouse workers suffer on-the-job injuries, they may have grounds to pursue workers’ compensation coverage from their employers.
