During the COVID-19 pandemic, Braskem America faced a critical risk: its Marcus Hook and Neal WV plants producing meltblown polypropylene for N95 masks could shut down if workers got infected. To keep production flowing, the company implemented an unprecedented solution. They offered full pay for four weeks of continuous, isolated shifts with minimal family contact.

This creative approach attracted more volunteers than they had space for, allowing them to maintain output. The workers produced 40 million pounds of polypropylene, enough for roughly 500 million N95s. This story highlights how emergency compensation can mobilize essential, specialized labor when lives are at stake.