FedEx Express company policy mandates a 1-hour unpaid break period for all employees that work over 8 hours in a day. Within the United States, there are no federal or state guidelines requiring such a break, and we feel that this company policy is not only excessive, but detrimental to productivity, morale, safety, and work/life balance. We are requesting a change to the company policy, to align more closely to state and federal laws, requiring only a 30-minute break period for any employee working over 6 hours in a day. 

The nature of our job as couriers is unpredictable. Many of us work long hours, frequently in inclement weather. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced a dramatic increase in workload, and much of the country has been experiencing unusually severe weather in the past several months. Requiring couriers to take a 60-minute break not only makes it difficult to finish or run routes efficiently some days, it puts our safety at risk, particularly during extreme weather. Many couriers feel drowsy and less energetic after such a long period, and many routes are not designed to allow for taking multiple shorter breaks, especially with the current increased workload. This makes us not only less productive, but more likely to have an accident. As does having to work later into the evening/ night. As colder seasons approach, and dark comes earlier, it gets more difficult to see, and temperatures drop. Again, this makes us less productive, and puts us more at risk of being in an accident. 

The increased workload, and subsequent increase in hours worked, has also led to a large decrease in morale. Many of us are tired and stressed, often because we do not have time to tend to our personal obligations outside of work, spend time with family, or even tend to our health. Being able to save an extra 30-minutes each day by eliminating an unnecessary, and largely unwanted, break period, would allow us an extra 2.5 hours each week, over 100 hours annually, to take care of our personal matters, our health, and our families. 

We ask for your support to change the FedEx Express break policy to require a single 30-minute break period, rather than 60 minutes. We feel this will improve efficiency, courier morale, and safety, and also allow couriers much needed time to address personal matters and create a better work-life balance. Thank you for signing!