Shift Configuration |
[Dispatch supervisor Linda Olmstead provided the following example of how one law enforcement agency arranges it communications center shifts and scheduling.] Within the entire department, we have "seniority" and "rotation" Comm Centers. In all 25 of our Comm Centers, shift schedules--and which sets of days off on each shift--are established quarterly, NOT annually. Although I've worked at 3 of our Comm Centers, all three of them were "seniority" Centers. Here's how it goes at my current Comm Center: The Comm Sups establish what shifts and days off can be projected as available for each quarter. (Some shift slots of ours have had to be deleted as our staffing situation grew critical and our dispatchers are looking forward to having some "prime" slots opening up again in a few months as our trainees become more capable of working solo and "counting" in the staffing quotient.) Although there are 3 months of shifts in each quarter, dispatchers do not have to sign up for all three exactly the same. They can work the 0500 shift the first month, the 1300 or 1500 shift the second month and the 1900 or 2100 shift the third month, or any combination that suits them. Or sit on the same shift for all three months. All by seniority. So, if a senior dispatcher decides to move around the schedule, everybody junior to him/her gets what's left. There happens to be a lot of movement amongst my folks, because senior people often change shifts throughout the year as their personal needs warrant. Now, annual vacation bids are also by seniority, but that is for the entire year. Since no more than one person per shift is ever allowed on vacation, it behooves one to pay attention to the vacation schedule as well as what shifts other people are working, because administration (us evil bosses) will schedule someone on a different shift if one of those conflicts occurs in a month. Sorry, you really can't sign up for 0500 shift and still expect to go on vacation when a senior dispatcher is working the 0500 shift that month and has vacation. That is, you won't get the shift you want in that month, because we'll administratively assign you to a different shift. It's in the SOP and it's your responsibility to figger that out as you see which shifts are selected, by seniority, ahead of you. Only taking one week that month? Sorry - you'll be moved for the whole month. That's just the way it is - because the senior folks have enough vacation accrued to take 2, 3, or 4 weeks, and uh oh, you signed up for that shift that month and also have an approved vacation (approved months previously). Senior person also has approved vacation; it's always been up to YOU to plan ahead for such things and not sign up for the same shift that month. Now, holidays..... the prime ones, in November and December. Again, I'm just going to explain what happens at my Comm Center, not all 25 of 'em in the department. The list of six prime holidays are not necessarily paid holidays but are those that are important to people and we use the following system: Thanksgiving (paid), the day after Thanksgiving (paid) , Christmas Eve, Christmas (maybe paid, depending on where it falls on the calendar), New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day (usually paid) are the days of interest. In the first week of October, we post the list with these days across the top of the sheet and the dispatchers' names down the left side. (Although they're in seniority order, top to bottom, seniority is not the deciding factor, nor do they have to indicate their preferences in seniority order. At any time, s/he can go to the list and write in his/her order of preference.) Each dispatcher must "order" their preference, from "1" - this is the most important one to me, to "6" - this is the least important one for me. (If one is on annual vacation during any one of those special holidays, that's your automatic first choice, doesn't matter - you're not gonna get other prime holidays off in addition to the two you'll already get just by being on vacation that week.) Also, one's "regular days off" don't mean anything during the actual Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's weeks. Out of those months, in order to accommodate - as much as possible - everyone's prime holiday request off, everybody's regular days for those particular weeks will be split or moved throughout the week. For example, if during the other three weeks of November, you had T/F/S off, but Christmas was your first choice holiday off, and you didn't rate Thanksgiving very high and the day after Thanks giving was of no consequence to you at all, guess what: you don't get T/F/S off that particular week, because somebody else has high preference for Thanksgiving. "Regularly scheduled" (by bid) days off and seniority have no bearing on these special holidays. As we Comm Sups start projecting the November and December schedules, we refer to this preference table and develop those schedules to try to give everyone their first or second, or third choice holidays off. With our critically short staffing situation this year, it was a real bear, but we were able to give 14 of the working 15 dispatchers their first choice holiday off. (Trainees included.) One person--a very new trainee--will be getting his second choice holiday off - we couldn't work it out to accommodate his first choice. But my partner Comm Sup and I were very very pleased to be able to work it out so that FIRST choices were granted. In years past, sometimes each dispatcher got more of these six holidays off, maybe not the first or second choice or 'em all, but several of them. Not this year (2001). <sigh> Everybody's days off are all over the schedule, split up and with no relation to the regular shift RDOs for those affected weeks. Of course, neither one of us Comm Sups are getting any of those holiday off...... <chuckle> Matter of fact, on Christmas Eve, the midnight shift will be me, my partner Comm Sup, both of us working a radio, and a call-taker trained dispatcher. But we were able to give our people their first choice holidays off. (Well, all but one, and he got his second highest preference off....) <whew> I'm repeating myself, aren't I? |