Warehouse agency jobs are one of the quickest ways into steady work in the UK. You register, show your documents and you can be on a shift within days. That speed is the appeal, and it is also where people get caught out: the wrong rate on the first payslip, boots they were told to buy, a run of nights nobody explained.
This is for anyone about to take their first warehouse shift through an agency. It covers what to sort before you start, what you are owed, and the questions worth asking at registration so the first week goes the way you expect.
Have your right to work ready before you register
Every agency has to check your right to work in the UK before your first shift, and it has to check the real thing, not a photo on your phone. A British or Irish passport is the simplest. If you have settled status or a visa, you will be asked for a share code from the Prove your right to work service on GOV.UK. Biometric residence permit cards have been replaced by eVisas, so if you still carry a BRP, set up your UKVI account first.
A right to work share code lasts 90 days. Get one the day before you register, not a month earlier.
Bring your National Insurance number and a P45 from your last job if you have one. Without a P45 you fill in a starter checklist, which keeps you off an emergency tax code for longer than you need to be.
What warehouse agency jobs pay, and what comes on top
From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for anyone aged 21 or over, and £10.85 for 18 to 20 year olds (GOV.UK, National Minimum Wage rates). That is the floor for every hour you work, including a compulsory induction or training session. Plenty of warehouse agency jobs pay more, with higher rates for nights, weekends or truck work. Ask what each shift type pays before you say yes.
Before you start, the agency has to give you a Key Information Document. It says who will pay you, how often, the minimum rate you will get and any deductions. If your first payslip does not match it, that is the document you point to.
Holiday builds up from your first hour. Full time workers get 5.6 weeks a year. If your hours change from week to week, the agency may pay holiday as an extra 12.07 percent on each hour worked instead of paid days off, which the law has allowed since April 2024. It should show as its own line on your payslip. If it is folded into the hourly rate with no breakdown, ask.
PAYE or umbrella
Some agencies pay you directly through PAYE. Others pay you through an umbrella company, which employs you and pays you on the agency’s behalf. Since April 2026 the agency is liable for your tax and National Insurance if an umbrella company fails to pay it over to HMRC, which has squeezed out some of the worst operators. Still, check that the gross rate on the umbrella payslip matches what the agency quoted, and that any umbrella fee was written on your Key Information Document.
Boots, hi vis and safety kit
If the site needs you in safety boots, gloves or a hi vis vest, that kit must be provided free. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations were extended in April 2022 to cover casual workers as well as employees, and the HSE is clear that workers cannot be charged for PPE they need to do the job. Agencies also cannot charge you a fee for finding you work, under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies Regulations 2003.
Shifts, breaks and nights
Warehouse rotas are often four on, four off, or blocks of nights. The Working Time Regulations give you a 20 minute break when you work more than six hours, 11 hours rest between working days, and an average of no more than 48 hours a week unless you sign an opt out. You can withdraw an opt out later by giving notice, usually seven days.
If you normally work at least three hours between 11pm and 6am, you count as a night worker. Your hours are then limited to an average of eight in each 24, and you must be offered a free health assessment before you start nights. Take it. It is there for you.
Forklift and reach trucks
There is no legal forklift licence in the UK. Employers look for a certificate from an accredited trainer, such as RTITB or ITSSAR, for the right kind of truck, counterbalance or reach for example. Even with a certificate, the site should give you familiarisation on its own trucks and layout before you drive (HSE, Approved Code of Practice L117). If you hold one, take a copy to registration. It often means a better rate and first call for shifts.
Your first 12 weeks
Under the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, once you have done 12 weeks in the same role with the same hirer you are entitled to the same basic pay, holiday and working time as someone the site employs directly. Gaps between assignments can pause or reset the count, so note your start date. From day one you already get the site’s canteen, lockers and staff transport, and you must be told about its permanent vacancies. A lot of permanent warehouse jobs are filled that way.
Sick pay from the first day
Since 6 April 2026 statutory sick pay starts on the first day you are off sick, and the lower earnings limit has gone, so people on low or uneven hours qualify too. It is paid at £123.25 a week or 80 percent of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Tell the agency as soon as you know you cannot make a shift, not just the site.
Four questions to ask at registration
What is the hourly rate for days, nights and weekends? Who pays me, the agency or an umbrella? Is safety kit provided on site? How much notice will I get of shifts, and what happens if one is cancelled? Write the answers down. If they match your Key Information Document and your first payslip, you have found a decent agency.
Flamingo Workforce supplies warehouse and industrial staff across England and Wales. See our current jobs, read about our warehouse and industrial work, or get in touch to register.