Pick rates and targets
Most fulfilment centres track units per hour. Missing a target can lead to retraining or warnings, but it can't reduce your pay below the minimum wage. If you're paid by the hour, every hour you work counts, however many items you pick.
Some sites pay a productivity bonus for beating the target. That's extra pay, and for agency workers after 12 weeks it should be on the same terms as directly employed staff.
Peak season
From October to January, fulfilment centres take on large numbers of temporary staff and offer lots of overtime. Short contracts and long weeks make it easy for a shift to go missing.
Example: a temp works five 10-hour shifts a week with a 30-minute unpaid break, so 47.5 hours, for 8 weeks at £12.71. That's £603.73 a week, or £4,829.80 over the season before tax. One missing shift is £120.75.
Holiday on a short contract
Temporary and agency workers build up holiday too. On irregular hours it's 12.07% of the hours you work. On the example above that's about 46 hours of holiday over the season, usually paid at the end of the contract or rolled into each payslip.
More than 48 hours
Peak weeks can take you over 48 hours. The limit is an average, usually over 17 weeks, so a few long weeks can be lawful. You can't be made to average more than 48 unless you've opted out in writing.
Track it shift by shift
Paste the rota message you were sent and Shiftaan fills in the shift for you. Give it a go.
Common questions
Can I be paid less for missing my pick rate?
Not below the minimum wage for the hours you worked.
Do temps get holiday pay?
Yes. Holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work on irregular hours.
Is peak overtime paid at a higher rate?
Only if your contract or the agency's rate card says so.