CHICAGO and LONDON, Feb. 23 2026 — New research from ProGlove, the industrial wearable technology provider, reveals that ergonomic debt is threatening operational productivity in warehouses across the UK and US as physical strain, due to poor tools and rising demand, is getting worse. The research, conducted with over 200 warehouse workers and managers across the UK and US, shows that although ergonomic issues are escalating, most organisations are not fully aware of the risks or addressing them effectively.
Ergonomic debt is the cumulative strain that builds up from repetitive motions and heavy or outdated tools that were not designed with people in mind, ultimately leading to lower productivity, absenteeism and higher staff turnover.
According to ProGlove’s research, more than 73% of warehouse operators say they have considered leaving their roles because of discomfort or injury concerns, a striking indication that physical strain is contributing to the already growing labor shortage. As a result, 36% of workers say they missed shifts in the past year due to work-related pain or exhaustion. Among those who took time off due to fatigue, 50% missed between four to six days a year, while 15% missed between one and two weeks of a working year. These patterns indicate not only a shrinking pool of available workers, but also the financial pressure that comes with covering absences, reallocating labor and absorbing the productivity loss that follows.
Yet the factors driving this strain often go unaddressed. 53% of workers still use pistol-grip scanners, which are known to elevate musculoskeletal risk, with 8% more workers than managers rating their tools as non-ergonomic, at 81% and 73%, respectively. Despite this, only 22% of organisations measure RSI or MSK injuries according to their warehouse operators. 73% of surveyed warehouse managers say the tools in their facility are not ergonomic, while 37% of managers say their workflows are not designed to prevent RSI or MSK injuries. Without the data or language to identify the root causes of fatigue and turnover, many warehouses continue to rely on workflows and equipment that silently compound the problem.
“The fact that 66% of warehouse managers have never heard the term ergonomic debt tells us that too many warehouse workers are carrying a physical burden that has gone unrecognised for far too long,” said Konstantin Brunnbauer, managing director at ProGlove. “When I speak with operators, they often describe strain as simply ‘part of the job.' But there’s only so much strain a body can take, and it will only get worse as demand increases. This research shows how that burden is already influencing fatigue, absences, and whether people feel able to stay in these roles - those outcomes directly affect productivity.”
“In an industry already grappling with labor shortages, every missed shift and every departure leaves a real gap. Leaders who want stable, high-performing warehouses need to understand where this pressure is building and implement technology that is genuinely built around human needs.”
ProGlove conducted research on the impact of ergonomic debt in warehouses in November 2025, surveying over 200 warehouse professionals across the UK and US, with 92 of those surveyed holding managerial positions and 124 holding warehouse floor operator positions.
About ProGlove
Founded in 2014, ProGlove provides industrial wearable solutions that increase productivity, safety and quality for more than 2,000 customers worldwide across warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and retail. By combining ergonomic hardware with intelligent software solutions - including INSIGHT, ProGlove’s analytics platform — the company enables organizations to capture and analyze data quickly and easily at the point of work.
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, ProGlove operates globally with offices in Chicago (USA), Coventry (UK), and Belgrade (Serbia). Its customers include leading brands such as BMW, DHL, Gap Inc. and Lufthansa Technik Logistik Services.
