Companies take heat for having employees work during polar vortex
Some people are steaming that, despite the Midwest’s arctic temperatures, Wednesday was just another day on the job for many service and delivery workers.
FedEx and UPS took some heat on Twitter for allowing drivers to go out in the subzero temperatures. Fast-food chain Sonic and the retail giant Target were among some of the food companies and retailers that were criticized for staying open during the freezing weather.
FedEx had “contingency plans in place to ensure the well-being of our team members and service providers and to lessen the weather’s impact on service,” according to a spokeswoman. Though operations could be impacted in certain areas, “our priority is always safety and providing service to the best of our ability,” she added.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Sonic said 95 percent of Sonic’s more than 3,600 drive-ins are owned by local businessmen and -women: “The franchisees who own and operate Sonic drive-ins across the country take employee safety and food safety very seriously and franchisees occasionally close their drive-ins for weather or safety concerns.”
The social media shade came as the polar vortex’s record-breaking cold canceled more than 1,500 flights from Chicago and halted Amtrak trains in and out of the Windy City. Governors in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan declared states of emergency. The US Postal Service suspended mail in either portions or all of certain states in the region.
But the social media backlash to employees showing up to work may not have represented what was happening on the ground. Case in point: One person wondered in a Tweet directed at UPS, “Is safety not your main priority that you preach daily to the drivers?” Another tweet showed a brown UPS truck pulling up with icicles hanging in the frame.
However, a spokesman for UPS told MarketWatch that it had, indeed, suspended service in some areas and the company’s website showed no pickups or deliveries in more than 150 ZIP codes.
“Safely delivering on our service commitments is UPS’s highest priority,” the spokesman said. “Our drivers and local management teams also make decisions based on the conditions in the communities they serve. This is especially important for urgent deliveries that include critical health-care items, medical devices, medicines and equipment needed to maintain heating and electrical systems.”
If suspensions had to happen, services would return “as soon as conditions permit,” he said.
Target, the Minneapolis-based retailer, was also criticized for having its employees work. “Employees are being forced to work tomorrow on a day when commuting could be deadly,” the observer wrote.
A Target representative said all stores were open and running on normal business hours.
“When deciding whether or not to close our stores, we carefully consider the needs of our team and our business. We also encourage our team members to work with their leaders during this time to ensure they can make decisions about their work arrangements that will keep themselves and their families safe,” a spokeswoman said.