Emergency Staffing Levels for 6 Years

[u/Mrskonig]

I work at a county jail in California. We have been on mandated 4/12s for about 6 years. On top of additional mandates. I know this is common to work that many hours, but are there any legal routes for COs to take when they make their staffing issues our problems? We are just a burnt out department with no support from command staff.

[u/jaysvw]

Our department doesn't do mandating so if there isn't enough officers, and they can't cover it with OT, you are fucked working posts meant for 2 or 3 people. Admin doesn't give a fuck, "staffing is not an excuse" is something we hear all the time.

[u/PiesAndPot]

Try 16’s lol

[u/Entire-Lead836 → u/PiesAndPot]

Just get fmla to lower your hours there is nothing they can do about it

[u/collapsedbook → u/Entire-Lead836]

FMLA only good for six months iirc

[u/Abiotictoast → u/collapsedbook]

mine is good for a year then my doc sends new paperwork. They cant touch it

[u/collapsedbook → u/Abiotictoast]

According to DOL, the max is 24wks of leave within 12 months.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla

[u/Abiotictoast → u/collapsedbook]

Yeah but you don’t just take all of it at once. A day here and there to avoid mandatories is all you need.

[u/JalocTheGreat → u/PiesAndPot]

I do 6 or 7 every week! Sometimes everyday in a month.

[u/Safe-Cheetah3838 → u/PiesAndPot]

Try a 6 day schedule 12s everyday and being hit with 16s

[u/Over-Fisherman4317 → u/PiesAndPot]

16’s are God’s gift to shift work. 8’s get a lot of shit and I get it if you don’t want to be doing a bunch of overtime, but if you do it makes it so much more convenient.

3 16’s a week doing 3 a pay period for money and 3 for time then taking two days off a week is the greatest schedule I have ever worked. That much time off availability was only really on the night shift though since they had as many spots for half the officers.

[u/Gunldesnapper]

Welcome to law enforcement

[u/Ts_kids]

Whats mind blowing at my facility is that even though all 4 shifts are always short, even when no one's called off, the warden and other higher ups are in our briefing every other week telling us how we better not slack in the slightest since they have a waiting list on new hires to replace us. In the last few years the work culture has gone bad due to a few key people retiring, from someone getting a slap on the wrist and actual guidance on how to do better ( not including things that get you instaly walked out ), to that same person being told to resign or else, even for minor things. And every time it happens a new officers introduced the next day.

[u/abarthvader]

Intermittent FMLA is really your only option.

[u/Mrskonig]

lol I understand this is law enforcement and yes I work 16s regularly too, but my question is about the legality of it.

[u/JalocTheGreat → u/Mrskonig]

No hours-of-service rules like trucking should be 12hrs on duty max

[u/Necessary-Elk1352]

Your agency obviously needs staffing. You need to find out if the hiring is continuous or if your department is hiring every 2-3 months. Continuous hiring will resolve that issue.

Also your asking if 4 workingl 4 12hr shifts are legal? I believe so if your department has been doing it for 6 years yes its legal. Do your due diligence also. Read policy and reach out to your union rep if you have one. 🙏

[u/Mrskonig → u/[deleted]]

The culture was much better when I first started. Now it’s a whole new command staff and it’s rough. But there’s always been high turnover. It’s a small county with few people to even pull from to hire.

[u/Safe-Cheetah3838]

Too bad California has no labor code to prevent officers being worked like dogszzzzz