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Lifting the lid on mental health in the logistics sector
Mental health and its stigma
Mental health and wellbeing has been high on the agenda for businesses around the world for a number of years now, but are some sectors lagging behind when it comes to addressing the needs of their people, and future proofing their success?
Logistics really is the lifeblood of our day-to-day lives – without the people working in the warehouses, distribution centres and transporting products across the country we would have no food, medicines, living essentials, clothes – it would all come to a grinding halt without these services.
According to Statista1, at the start of 2025 there were over 1.5 million people employed in the transport and storage sectors – of which 1.25 million were men (67%). Whilst there has been a small rise since 20202 where only 13.4% of the workforce in this sector were women, the majority of people working in the logistics sector remain male.
Traditionally, men’s mental health has been brushed under the carpet. Men have long been told to hide their emotions, deal with their problems privately – literally told to ‘man up’!
Shockingly, men are three times more likely to die from suicide than women, however even more shocking, only 36% of all NHS referrals for psychological therapies are for men3. 52% of men would be concerned about taking time off of work for mental health related reasons, while 46% would feel embarrassed or ashamed to tell their employer4.
Lifting the lid on logistics
We took a look into the world of logistics to see how people who work within that sector were feeling, what support they are given, and how businesses could address some of this feedback5.
First things first – of the 500 people we surveyed, who work within the transport and distribution sector, nearly half (47.4%) said their mental health had been negatively impacted by their job.
Of those affected, nearly 20% had never spoken to anyone about it, with the majority of those who have spoken about it choosing to speak with a family member or friend (74.9%), as opposed to their manager or someone else at work.
Whilst conducting our research, we really wanted to delve deep into how people were feeling, so we gave all our survey respondents the opportunity to share their thoughts with us, rather than simply answer set questions. This provided real insight into the emotions behind the statistics and highlighted the stigma that many men feel, and the need to fit into the ‘masculine’ stereotype within the workplace.
These are just a selection of comments from real people, working within this sector. Quite an eye opener, isn’t it?
So how do we make a change? How do we lift the lid and bring men’s mental health out into the open, and make it a topic that can be discussed honestly and safely?
Support Groups
Creating a safe space for men to openly and honestly talk about the issues they are facing and how they are affected can be a first step in breaking down that ‘man up’ mentality. We work alongside our colleagues every day, however most of the time we have no idea what they are dealing with both mentally and physically. Providing a ‘time to talk’ and access support could be the lifeline someone needs and ensures they can remain working and productive.
Socials
Often when someone is struggling mentally, they will retreat into themselves and draw away from the crowd. Arranging work socials could be a way to help them reconnect with their team, outside of the working environment. Try to avoid social gatherings centred around alcohol – for many this could have a negative impact on how they are feeling or heighten their feelings of depression or anxiety. Focus on physical, team building activities or film or music groups, something which provokes conversation and connection.
Mental Health First Aiders
Consider working with a mental health training provider to educate your people and provide the support in-house.
Time Off
Recognise when someone is close to burn out and offer some time out and away from their day-to-day job, to allow them to rest and recuperate. Providing flexibility and support for an employee who is struggling could be more beneficial for your business than long-term absence due to stress or anxiety.
Working Environment
Consider the environment your people are working in. Do they have access to natural light? Are the temperatures regulated to be comfortable? Are break-out areas clean and relaxing? Can they access outside space in warmer weather?
Could music be the answer?
On the topic of working environment, our survey also asked workers how they felt about music within the workplace, with over 55% saying music was played whilst they were working in the warehouse and nearly 30% saying music is played in other areas around the business. When asked how music being played at work makes them feel, just over 55% said they felt happy with relaxed and energised coming in just behind at 49.9% and 44.8% respectively.
It has been shown through previous research6 that music can improve concentration, and in a warehouse setting where there is high repetition of actions, music can not only increase the rate of work, but it can improve motivation, reduce stress and relieve fatigue.
We asked our survey respondents how music impacts their working environment:
As you can see, morale, productivity, team bonding and repetitive working are all impacted positively by music.
We spoke to The Workplace Depot, an industrial and workplace stockist which was ranked in the Top Ten of Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025 – Small Organisations, and heard how music plays a part in creating a positive working environment for them.
“When we’re working, the first thing we do is put the radio on, it gives everyone a bit of energy in the morning. On Friday, what I like to do when it’s my turn to pick, I like to play party music, quite upbeat music, just to get ready for the weekend. I feel like it would definitely be a whole different atmosphere at work if there wasn’t any music because obviously it’s just a lot quieter, it just doesn’t feel right.
“My day-to-day is dropping down of all the pallets and then taking the stock from the overflow into the main warehouse. Music helps with fatigue because, like for example, in the gym some people use upbeat music to motivate them, and the same sort of scenario we use out here.”– Mikey Dahdah, Warehouse Operative.
The Ultimate Productivity Playlist
Finally, we also spoke to someone who understands the science behind music and its benefits to our mental health, Music Therapist Marianne Rizkallah.
Marianne told us, “It’s no secret that music is the key to helping many of us unlock our productivity and feel more focused. It can also help us when we’re feeling unmotivated, stuck, or stressed.
In the workplace, we don’t often consider the soundtrack we have and will usually be so focused on tasks that music blends into the background. Yet considering how music can leave us feeling positive, less stressed and happier, it’s no wonder that the music we hear at work should also be doing that too.”
Not sure what to play – we’ve got you covered. We have created the ultimate productivity playlist for you to tap into the subconscious and boost productivity, morale and combat that dreaded repetition fatigue!
References:
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1387006/uk-transport-workforce-by-gender/#statisticContainer
- https://logistics.org.uk/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=86764e99-6b36-4517-a93d-f567ebfa0adahttps://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06838/SN06838.pdf
- https://mentalhealth-uk.org/mens-mental-health/
- https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/mens-health-week-2024-more-men-seeking-mental-health-support/
- Survey conducted by PPL PRS of 500 respondents working in the warehouse sector in April 2025, via Attest
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8357712/
Author
Alexandra Carr
Alexandra Carr is a Member of The Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has worked in communications roles for over 20 years. Prior to her current position she worked for The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (UK) and Transport for London. Alexandra joined PPL PRS as PR & Communications Manager in December 2017, bringing together her love of writing and music.
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