Temporary workforces are used within the grocery industry to stock shelves.

Managing Labor Disputes and
Disruptions in the Grocery
Industry with Temp Workers

Managing Labor Disputes in the Grocery Industry with Temporary Workforces

February 22, 2022

The Grocery Industry Can Benefit from Temporary Workforces

North American grocers are finding themselves in increasingly complex supply chain issues as business leaders are forced to navigate vaccine mandates, labor disputes, and worker shortages. Utilizing a specialized third party can help address these issues and mitigate labor shortages. In fact, AFIMAC can speak to a number of concerns that business owners are facing, offering careful guidance and a temporary workforce that can ensure any employer is successful in navigating the complexities of 2022 and beyond.

You aren’t alone during these challenging times, and your careful planning and enrollment of temp workers will pay dividends in the long run. Lean on the experience and guidance of AFIMAC Global to help mitigate supply chain issues currently plaguing the entire global economy.

Are Labor Shortages At Play? Considering AFIMAC Staffing Solutions

The Role of a Temporary Workforces

Temporary workers have been relied upon to take on a long list of roles, from logistics professionals and warehouse workers to shelf-stocking. In some parts of North America, panic shopping for certain goods and produce has created volatile swings in demand that are almost entirely unpredictable, leaving a dire need for new workers that can promote supply chain security.

Supply chain issues are predicted to continue across North America as many workforces begin to thin out and the demand for general laborers increases. Both American and Canadian grocers should begin planning now to lean on temporary workforces to manage absenteeism. AFIMAC has a vast database of skilled workers that can be deployed on short notice to address shortages.

Temporary workforces are called upon to a grocery store.

At difficult times when absenteeism has strained the well-being of your workforce, temporary laborers are critical in ensuring that your orders are met, shelves are stocked, and your supply chain bends but never breaks.

Temp Workers and the Grocery Sub-Industries They Serve

The food supply industry across North America is facing a complex domino effect of worker shortages that can result in significant disruptions.

Ongoing truck driving shortages remain a cause for concern. The industry is faced with incredible uncertainty as an aging workforce looks to retire without a supply of young, entry-level workers; they simply cannot address volatile swings in demand. Temp workers can play an important role in filling positions and deterring fraud and theft when shipments are left stalled.

Food processing plants and meat and chicken packing facilities have also seen incredible absenteeism due to sickness or fear of contracting COVID-19. Many workers are calling in sick due to Omicron or are facing complex parental and childcare issues, forcing them to retire early to take unpaid leaves.

Temporary workforces are primed to relieve the strain on the workers serving the grocery industry, stepping in to ensure that production goals are met despite extensive absenteeism.

Temporary Workforces for the Food, Produce, and Service Industries

Complex worker shortages are not exclusive to the logistics and trucking industry; they have also hit local farmers and producers. Winter weather, complications from sourcing foreign temporary workers, and surging Omicron cases have caused the farming industry difficulties in keeping up with consumer demands as workers leave the job site.

Worker absenteeism has proven to be a difficult barrier for the farmers of North America, who have been largely unable to source foreign workers that were once easily available. Short-term laborers can play an essential role in feeding the families of North America.

The Grocery Industry’s Striking Workforces

The strain placed on unionized workforces due to supply chain issues could also result in difficult strikes or walk-offs. As absenteeism increases, remaining workers might feel burned out, opting to either walk off the job, seek employment elsewhere, or picket for improved employment offerings. When these issues arise, it creates a long list of security concerns that prompt the need for strike and picket line security and executive protection services.

Temp Workers and Labor Disruption Services from AFIMAC

AFIMAC Global is well-suited to address complications related to strikes, labor negotiations, walk-offs, absenteeism, and worker shortages within the grocery industry. Temporary workers supplied by AFIMAC Global can be dispatched quickly, offering solutions to supply chain disruptions that can challenge productivity and harm your bottom line.

By maintaining a directory of highly skilled laborers, AFIMAC Global can address long-term strikes or labor shortages with temporary workers, even in remote job sites. These temporary workers provide a solution to challenges related to your supply chain, helping to ease issues of absenteeism that have arisen post-pandemic.

Find solutions to other complex issues during these difficult times, including worker strikes, corporate security, union negotiations, vaccine mandates, and executive protection services.

Contact us directly to learn more about available services and address the challenges related to labor shortages across North America. Fill out the form below to speak directly with an AFIMAC representative today.