Maya McFadden Photo
Profession: United Parcel Service (UPS) Warehouse Preloader
Age: 22
How work has changed during pandemic: Redd starts work earlier most days and is required to wear provided mask. He also wears provided gloves, though that’s not mandatory. Before the pandemic, Redd only occasionally wore gloves, and never a mask.
What a typical workday looks like: A team of 10 to 11 people used to unload about 10,000 packages per shift. Now his team unloads about 17,000 packages a shift. Redd usually works Monday through Friday from 4 a.m until 8:30 a.m., sometimes 9:30 a.m, if the team is running off schedule.
How he’s staying healthy: “We [co-workers] do a lot more fist-bumping and wash our hands more, especially when we get off.”
Biggest concern about working during pandemic: “The more packages we get the more work and risk there are, so I feel like we should get hazard pay, because we really are exposed to everything.”