Warehouse and stocking jobs

Warehouse and stocking jobs can be a good fit if you like to stay busy and don't mind physical work. You don't talk with customers as much as in a store or café, and you often work with a team. Many of these jobs train you on the job.

Types of jobs

Overnight stocking. Grocery, department, and big-box stores often restock when the store is closed or quiet. You unload trucks, break down pallets, fill shelves, and "face" products so they line up neatly at the front of the shelf.

Warehouse associate. In a distribution centre, you receive, store, pick, pack, and ship products. Common job titles include picker, packer, order filler, receiver, shipper, and sorter.

Parcel sorter. At courier and online-shopping sites, you scan packages and sort them onto the right conveyor belts, carts, or trucks.

Seasonal help. Warehouses and stores often hire extra people before busy shopping seasons, like the winter holidays. Seasonal jobs can be a good first step and sometimes turn into longer jobs.

Typical shifts

Warehouses and stores often run around the clock, so shifts can be:

Overnight, starting late in the evening and ending in the morning
Early morning, starting before sunrise
Afternoon or evening
Weekends only, which can work well for students

Some workplaces use longer shifts, such as 10 hours a day, four days a week. Before you accept a job, ask about start and end times, how schedules are made, and how often overtime happens.

Night work takes some getting used to. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on days off, and plan safe transportation for late or early hours.

Overtime rules

Overtime rules are different in each province.

BC: You usually earn time-and-a-half for hours over 8 in a day or over 40 in a week, and double time for hours over 12 in a day (BC overtime pay). Some employees have an averaging agreement, which changes how overtime is counted.
Ontario: Overtime is counted by the week. Most employees earn time-and-a-half after 44 hours in a week. A long day alone does not usually mean overtime pay (Ontario overtime pay).

Safety basics

Warehouses have real hazards: heavy boxes, forklifts and pallet jacks, sharp box cutters, and busy loading docks. A good employer trains you before you start.

Know your rights. In both provinces, workers have the right to know about hazards at work, the right to take part in health and safety, and the right to refuse unsafe work. Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act guide calls these the right to know, the right to participate, and the right to refuse.

In BC, WorkSafeBC says employers must give workers proper orientation, training, and supervision, and can't punish workers for raising a safety concern (WorkSafeBC).
In Ontario, all employers must make sure workers complete basic health and safety awareness training (ontario.ca). The province has a free program that meets the requirement.

Lift safely. Ask your supervisor to show you safe lifting methods for your workplace. Use carts, dollies, and team lifts for heavy or awkward items. Don't twist your body while carrying a load.

Respect the equipment. Never drive a forklift or powered pallet jack unless you have been trained and your employer has approved you to use it. Stay out of marked equipment lanes, and make eye contact with drivers before you cross in front of them.

Ask before you guess. If you are not sure how to do a task safely, stop and ask. Asking questions is part of doing the job well, especially in your first weeks.

Report injuries. Tell your supervisor about any injury right away, even a small one.

Steel-toe boots

Many warehouses require safety boots. Here is how to choose them.

Look for the CSA label. In Canada, safety footwear is rated under the CSA Z195 standard. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety:

A green triangle means a Grade 1 protective toe and a puncture-resistant sole. It is meant for heavy industrial work.
A yellow triangle means a Grade 2 protective toe and a puncture-resistant sole. It is meant for light industrial work.

Ask your employer which rating the job needs before you buy.

Who pays? In BC, the workplace safety regulation makes workers responsible for providing their own general work gloves and footwear, including safety footwear. Employers must provide most other required protective equipment at no cost (WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation, Part 8). In Ontario, ask your employer what they provide. Either way, it's worth asking whether the employer helps pay for boots.

Get a good fit. CCOHS suggests trying on boots around midday, when your feet are largest. Wear the socks you will wear at work, and walk around before you buy.

Replace damaged boots. Replace your boots after a heavy impact or a puncture through the sole, even if they look fine.

Age rules

Ontario: You must be at least 15 to work in a warehouse (Ontario minimum age for work).
BC: The general working age is 16. At 14 or 15, with a parent's written permission, you can do "light work," which includes stocking shelves in a store. But BC's light work rules exclude operating machinery that could harm you and lifting that risks injury. For most warehouse work, you need to be 16 or older.

What helps you get hired

Reliability. Shifts are planned around a full team. Showing up on time, every time, matters a lot.
Physical comfort. Be ready to stand, walk, bend, and lift for most of your shift.
Attention to detail. Picking the wrong item means a wrong order for a customer.
Willingness to learn. You may use handheld scanners and warehouse software. These are learned on the job.
Flexibility. Being open to nights, weekends, and seasonal overtime can help.

Next steps

Warehouse jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
Retail and store jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
Know your rights: BC and Ontario
Stocking jobs in grocery stores: Getting hired at a grocery store or pharmacy