The Fulfillment Center Intervention Study: Protocol for a group-randomized control trial of a participatory workplace intervention

Warehousing and storage is an economically vital industry, with 1.2 million workers in 2020. The Fulfillment Center Intervention Study focuses on workers in fulfillment centers in the e-commerce segment of this industry. Fulfillment centers are a growing yet understudied work environment which provides a unique setting to further examine how working conditions and worker voice influence health. The Study involves a group-randomized controlled trial comparing participants in worksites randomized to launch the participatory intervention (Health and Well-Being Committees, or HaWCs) with participants working for the same firm in control sites. HaWCs serve as a new formal voice channel where a small group of frontline workers and supervisors solicit workers' concerns and ideas about safety (e.g., physical hazards), the psychosocial environment (e.g., how workers feel about their treatment at work), and work organization (e.g., workflow, training opportunities, scheduling) and then develop and implement improvement projects in response. The primary objectives of the study are to evaluate the efficacy of the HaWC intervention and its effect on mental health outcomes and changes in the conditions of work within fulfillment centers, and to conduct a process evaluation of key contextual factors that support effective intervention implementation and sustained engagement. To our knowledge, this will be the first trial of a participatory intervention within a fulfillment center setting. Anticipated challenges include competing demands and company initiatives that may limit management support and high turnover. Should the intervention be shown to be feasible, the outcomes from this study will inform future randomized controlled trials of participatory interventions. Trial registration: This trial is registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT05199415) and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Protocol: 200800024).

At Work in a Pandemic: Black Workers' Experiences of Safety on the Job

Race and labor scholars have argued that precarious, dangerous work, along with the work of social reproduction, has long been disproportionately placed on Black workers. This research examines how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted essential in-person workers differently by race. Using data collected from approximately 8,000 respondents in five survey waves, we find that Black essential and in-person workers were far more likely to experience safety concerns on the job than white workers, from inadequate sick leave and protective gear in the early pandemic to customers who refused to mask in later months. This pattern extended to stress off the job, where Black workers were more likely to have experienced food, childcare, and housing insecurities. Black workers were also more likely to be interested in unionization. These findings point to distinct ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has collided with Black workers' struggle for economic inequality and amplified existing patterns of labor market inequality.

Worker Injuries in Southern California's Warehousing Industry: How to Better Protect Workers in This Burgeoning Industry?

Dangerous conditions and worker injuries in the rapidly growing warehousing industry have gained attention in recent years, with accounts typically drawing on worker reports and investigative journalism. We analyzed workers' compensation injury claims and California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) citations in Southern California's large warehousing sector. Claims increased from 2014 to 2018, with a majority of injuries caused by repetitive motion, lifting and other ergonomic risk factors. Cal/OSHA cited employers for violating standards to protect workers from unsafe vehicle operations, dangerous machinery and equipment, and falls; and for failing to implement injury prevention programs. These citations address the causes of some worker injuries; however, no Cal/OSHA citations were issued for violating the state's Repetitive Motion Injuries prevention standard. Nor do enforcement activities address the underlying causes highlighted by workers-high production quotas and a relentless work pace-that characterize the industry. We discuss the value and limitations of our approach and the implications of our results.