Frontline support is first and foremost a communication problem

For senior HR teams in food production, the Keep Britain Working agenda is more than a policy discussion - it is an operational one. This is especially true in food production, where the impact of missed shifts, slower throughput and higher agency spend quickly shows up in your margins and operating costs. 

Although many large employers already provide real and meaningful support for their people, the challenge is ensuring that support reaches those who need it, in a form they understand and can use. In this sector, a large share of workers are deskless: production operatives, line staff, warehouse teams, pickers and site colleagues. That matters because when people do not understand what is available to them, they do not use it, and when they do not use it, employers do not get the return on the investment already made. 

 

The frontline engagement gap 

For HR teams, the real question is how to get these frontline teams using the support already available to them. Benefits platforms, wellbeing services and protection products are usually in place within large organisations, but deskless workers often do not use them, because they do not know about them or what they offer. 

Underused benefits do not produce outcomes. The support you have provided, but your people do not understand, will not reduce absence. A wellbeing offer no one trusts will not improve retention. 

Our data suggests that colleagues in frontline roles are less likely to be engaged and more likely to leave than their office-based colleagues. For warehouse and production operatives, this active-user gap can be material. They are less likely to see internal comms, spend time on portals, or take in benefits information unless someone explains it clearly and directly. 

You will not reach these colleagues through an email or a policy document. Ketchum’s 2026 research found that frontline workers prefer face-to-face conversations with their leaders and that many feel they receive too little communication from leadership. Trust, transparency and real human contact are what keep frontline staff engaged and motivated. 

This is a communication failure, not a missing benefit. 

"The hardest part of communication is the illusion that it has already happened." 

 

What good communication looks like in logistics 

When frontline workers are reached clearly and directly, the value of the investment you've already made starts to show. In food production, this usually comes down to four things: 

• Communication that fits shift patterns, not office calendars. 

• Support explained in plain language, not buried in policy pages. 

• Keep it simple for frontline workers, for example having one app with all that they need in one place significantly improves the chances of them engaging. 

• Early access to practical health, wellbeing and financial protection, with a clear sense of what they are and how to use them. 

• Better visibility of where engagement is strong or weak, by role, site and workforce segment. 

 

What HR leaders should do next 

First, treat deskless communication as a strategic capability, not an extra task bolted onto internal comms. If a large share of your workforce is operational, your core communication model must reflect that by blending digital and in-person communication. 

Second, review activation, not only provision. Many employers already offer meaningful support, but take-up is uneven because awareness and understanding are uneven. How does this vary by role, site, age, and first language? 

Third, focus on prevention in the broadest sense. Financial resilience, health support, recognition and manager visibility all affect whether people stay in work or slip out of it. Once you are confident that people understand and use the benefits you provide, look to broaden your offering, such as health cash plans, savings support, and wellbeing services. 

Finally, insist on approaches proven in real-world environments such as production lines, warehouses, and food operations. In food production, the people most exposed to physical strain, financial insecurity and weak connection to head office are often the very people a business most needs to keep. 

Any HR strategy to improve resilience, absence and churn has to start with effective communication. Reach the colleagues most likely to miss the message, least likely to self-serve, and most likely to stay when the support is made real. 

 

About the Author 

Jenny Hinde is Chief People Officer at Personal Group, where she leads people strategy focused on helping employers improve workforce engagement, wellbeing and retention across frontline and deskless populations. 

 

About Personal Group 

Personal Group is a leading provider of employee benefits and wellbeing services in the UK, focused on delivering measurable outcomes for frontline workers. Through its award-winning platform, Hapi, along with in-person activation, employee-paid cash plans, and Innecto HR consultancy, Personal Group empowers organisations to support and protect their workforce.