When it comes to increased workload this time of year, Santa's elves have nothing on UPS employees. With the holiday shopping season in full swing and more people than ever buying gifts online, the shipping giant expects to deliver 750 million packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, and that means a lot of extra work for drivers and package handlers. In fact, some union drivers have filed a formal complaint with the company over being asked to work 70-hour weeks.
UPS CEO David Aubrey admits they are busier than ever. "We are expecting a five percent increase between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year over last year," he tells Fox News. To that end, the company has hired 95,000 additional seasonal workers, including 4,000 in the Houston area. "What is most important to our customers this time of year is making sure that they get a delivery they can depend on, on time," says Aubrey.
As for the driver complaints about marathon work weeks, UPS released a statement noting that all of its policies are in compliance with Department of Transportation requirements, and that all union employees are paid time-and-a-half for any work over 40 hours a week, plus receive generous compensation and benefits. For Aubrey, it's all about getting those deliveries to their destinations on time. "Capacity is so tight this part of the year, that we want to make sure we can give our customers the service they want," he says.