Communications Open Forum

We have 8 full time shift employees with 2 full time splits. The 8 shift employees are paired in staggered shifts one will be off every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday their partner will be off every other Saturday, Sunday and Monday. They work two on two off on weekdays with three on three off on weekends. The two full time splits offer vacation or sick coverage and evening splits for a third person in dispatch during busy hours. I can email you a copy of one of our schedules if you want to look closer. Concerning vacations because we are a small center only one at a time may take vacation first come first serve. Once the vacation time has ended for one another can go. We have 9 full time employees in dispatch our tenth just went to part time. With this shift we have built in over time of 8 hours. One week they work 48 hours the next week they work 36 hours. Our pay periods run every two weeks.

Here is an example utilizing a Pittman style rotation. Part-timers accounting for slot 10 as an additional midshift as well as covering sick calls / planned vacation.. It also gives you the flexibility to float the midshift to either days or nights for coverage if needed. We run 12hrs 6a to 6p and 6p to 6a on the Pittman schedule. It allows for every other weekend off. There are 4 hours of built in OT in this type of schedule. That may have to be discussed with the union should there be a CBA in effect. Some agencies have the OT earned as comp time, others as straight time if agreed upon by the union. Alternatively, one day a pay period could be an 8 hour day for the day and night shift and a part time member could work an 8 hour shift in between the two.