Scheduling Tools (Yes, it's officer safety related)

[usmcgunnerm4]

Here is our current situation:

1-Sgt, 1 Capt. and 1 Chief all on 5/2 schedules.
10 police officers - 8 hour shifts (1st -12-8am, 2nd- 8am-4pm, 3rd- 4pm-12am) All officers must have an equal amount of time on each shift every year per department policy. So right now we are on 7 days on 1st shift, 3 days off, 7 days on 3rd shift, 2 days off, 6 days on 2nd shift, 1.5 days off. So, ultimately our shifts rotate every week, which leads to fatigue, and dissatisfaction.

Our union is going to mediation because no one can agree on scheduling. We are all proposing 12 hour shifts, but with different rotations. Someone keeps messing with the schedules and making them more complicated than they need to be. Does anyone have a shift-schedule template for a 10-12 officer squad, or even an example shift? I have been trying to find one, but no luck. Help please!

Thanks,
Ian

[L-1]

All officers must have an equal amount of time on each shift every year per department policy.

So, why can't you work permanent shifts for one, two, three or four months in a row, and THEN rotate, rather than do it every week? (other than because that's the way we've always done it) :D

This sounds like a simple collective bargaining issue for the union. Most unions in my neck of the woods go for shift bidding by seniority. Even in a small, 10 officer department there is usually enough turnover than no one gets buried on graveyard for an unreasonable amount of time.

If some form of rotation is an absolute must, another alternative is shift bidding by senority every four months, but you cannot stay on the same shift for more than two bid periods (eight months). i.e., you have to switch to another shift once every eight months, then you can switch back if you have the seniority to do so.

[cashton]

When I was in corrections we worked a 2 month rotating schedule which wasn't too bad. We did 12 hour days so we did 2 months nights, 2 months days. It seemed to work out pretty well. Took about a week to adjust and then you were good to go.

[usmcgunnerm4]

The 12 hours shifts have been proposed, but someone in the mix keeps changing the specs on it. They actually had a schedule that forced us to use 6 hours of A/L every month to get a full paycheck. I designed a 12 Hours 3/2/2/2/2/3 schedule that would have a rotation every 10 weeks, but each officer gets 2 weeks of either training or relief. So far it seems to be a winner, and hopefully we can avoid mediation.

[Resq14]

I agree with keeping it simple. Rotating every two weeks would suck. I'd even hate monthly.

We re-bid shifts seasonally, so they're good for 3 months at a time. We bid by rotation so that it is "fair." I'm a fan of it.

[Len]

We have 4 squads with 5-8 officers per squad (not counting the Sgt. and Lt. on duty) and do 12's (6-6), but I'm sure this can be adapted for whatever size department you wish. Here is how it breaks down day-wise:

Week A
Mon - Off
Tue - Off
Wed - Work
Thu - Work
Fri - Off
Sat - Off
Sun - Off

Week B
Mon - Work
Tue - Work
Wed - Off
Thu - Off
Fri - Work
Sat - Work
Sun - Work

Those go back and forth, and using the 28 day cycle, we rotate days/nights every 2 cycles (56 days). I personally like only working an average of 14 days a month with every other weekend off. YMMV however.

[usmcgunnerm4]

Thanks man,

I just proposed that schedule, but they insisted that I remove one officer team for relief/training so I did a 5 Squad schedule for 4 Shift Teams. Each team rotates through the Training/Relief Squad every 10 weeks. Currently we have to keep rotating between mids, swings, and days every week. Here is our current sched. 7 Days on mids-4 days off, 7 Days on swings - 2 days off, 6 days on day shift, 1 and a half days off, 7 Days on Mids- 2 Days off, 5 days on Days for training or relief, 3 days off, repeat.....

[gomets11]

we bid only once a year...and work twelves like the one above....i work 7p-7a until the next bid....we have 3 shifts: days (6a-6p or 7a-7p) mids (1p-1a) nights (6p-6a or 7p-7a) with two rotations (a or b) so if you work B nights, A nights is off...so you never see the people on A shift

[CrashCrew]

We bid every six months, based on seniority. Our rotation is a 4-10hr and then 3 days off. I really like this set up. However, I do have a decent amount of seniority so I get whatever shift I want. We don't have a limit on how many times you can bid on the same shift. I know that some of the newer guys don't like it, because they get stuck on the crap shift until one of the seniors moves.

The guaranteed 3 days off every week helps morale. Ocassionally the brass will throw some ideas around about going to 5-8hr or the 12hr thing. However, most of the officers oppose these ideas. Probably because as cops we hate change...:D

[Buttrock]

We have about the same size dept as you. Our Chief and Asst. Chief work Mon-Fri 8hr shifts. We have basically two teams. Each Officer works 4-10hr shifts. One team works Tues-Fri. The other team works Fri-Mon. Day shift is 6 am to 4 pm..Swing works 3 pm to 1 am. Night works 9 pm to 7 am. We rotate every 4 months. Fri is our fat day and is used for training or comp time. It seems to work really well for all that work here. Hope it helps...

[lawdawg134]

Here is our current situation:

1-Sgt, 1 Capt. and 1 Chief all on 5/2 schedules.
10 police officers - 8 hour shifts (1st -12-8am, 2nd- 8am-4pm, 3rd- 4pm-12am) All officers must have an equal amount of time on each shift every year per department policy. So right now we are on 7 days on 1st shift, 3 days off, 7 days on 3rd shift, 2 days off, 6 days on 2nd shift, 1.5 days off. So, ultimately our shifts rotate every week, which leads to fatigue, and dissatisfaction.

Our union is going to mediation because no one can agree on scheduling. We are all proposing 12 hour shifts, but with different rotations. Someone keeps messing with the schedules and making them more complicated than they need to be. Does anyone have a shift-schedule template for a 10-12 officer squad, or even an example shift? I have been trying to find one, but no luck. Help please!

Thanks,
Ian


I have a template that has a 10 officer rotation, but it is for 10 hour shifts. The 7-6-7 schedule is a real killer and I hate it. We won't go to it here although on officer is in love with it for some reason. We are currently on 12's and I have a template for that too. Basically the way 12's would work is that you have 6 days during the pay period that are 12's and on, lets say a Monday, you would work an 8, and it equals 80 hours. I think I know where ya work, pm me and I will send ya the info!!!!!

[usmcgunnerm4]

Check your PM's

[Dodgeman01]

I have a template that has a 10 officer rotation, but it is for 10 hour shifts. The 7-6-7 schedule is a real killer and I hate it. We won't go to it here although on officer is in love with it for some reason. We are currently on 12's and I have a template for that too. Basically the way 12's would work is that you have 6 days during the pay period that are 12's and on, lets say a Monday, you would work an 8, and it equals 80 hours. I think I know where ya work, pm me and I will send ya the info!!!!!

Hey Lawdawg,
I have a 12 man Dept (VA also) that are wanting to go to 10 or 12's.
could I trouble you for a copy of the template of the 10 and 12 hours schedule you are talking about. My email is spikeHD@hotmail.com
Thank you,
Chris