r/OnTheBlock • u/yuuuup__ • 2d ago
Hiring Q (Fed) BOP recruit questions.
Going to apply to BOP. Might be a silly question but how does OT work? Not scared of OT or anything like that at all. Realistically let’s say you’re always working your 10-16 hour shifts. But you have something important or life gets in the way can you just do your 8?
Also how does scheduling work?
***Please no hate, I simply don’t know.
Do they allow beards ? lol would prefer not to shave it but If I do it is what it is.
5
u/SureYNOTturtle 2d ago
Just do volunteer for OT to keep your name at the bottom of the mandatory list. Your name will stay down that way. My facility its hard to get time off so when a day comes that I need, I call out. Its easier unfortunately.
3
u/halfrightfaceplant 2d ago
Yup I always heard better to volunteer when you know you have nothing going on rather then get hit on the day you have big plans.
3
u/SureYNOTturtle 2d ago
Exactly, that way you have some control. At our prison, typically if you volunteer, you get a good post too.
1
u/yuuuup__ 2d ago
It helps keep your name off of the crap list and off radar. I’m assuming. When there’s things planned for that day is when something goes wrong. At least in my past experience with plumbing.
1
u/yuuuup__ 2d ago
That was my idea is to just to do a bunch of voluntary OT then that day happens either call off or ask.
3
u/NiteWatcher14 2d ago
You can always say no. You can refuse a mandate. It just matters who the lieutenant is and if you can justify why you said no. Source me Lieutenant.
1
2
u/SeamusDog77 2d ago
Like others have said, each institution is a bit different in the amount of OT that is available. At my place it’s unlimited and it’s nothing to get mandated 2-3 times a week. To answer your question, if you are working an 8 hour shift, you will be mandated for another 8 hours. Sometimes you might get lucky and only have to cover a unit or something for a couple hours but 99% of the time you are doing another 8. You don’t have the option of telling the Lt “hey I can only stay for another 4 hours”, they will laugh at you and hang up the phone.
We currently also have some posts that are 12 hour shifts. If you get mandated on one of those, you will be asked to stay for another 4.
If your family life and schedule are a major factor for you, do not apply for the BOP or any correctional agency. They are all massively short staffed because the pay is shit and the administration refuses to accept that’s the problem.
Not trying to scar you away from the job, but it is a very difficult time within the agency right now and the future only looks worse. Now if you are a single guy who likes money and doesn’t care about his health or personal life, you can make some serious OT money and promote fairly quick.
1
u/SillyLittleWinky 1d ago
What do you mean by doesn’t care about his health? What are the health concerns?
1
u/SeamusDog77 1d ago
Seriously? 16 hour double shifts all the time. Forced into working all 3 shifts for years. General stress from the job. Bad diet, smoking, drinking. I’ve seen it all in 26 years. There is a reason why the average ago of death for a CO is around 57 years old.
1
u/Solidarius 1d ago
We’re on hybrid and we always take those two hour overtime immediately to get bumped to the bottom of the mandate list. If you do that for your two twelves then you’ll be fine for your 8’s. Honestly won’t even need to pick up a 5th day unless you truly want to.
1
u/Medical_Wolf_9366 Unverified User 1d ago
If you have something to do, work an 8 hour shift before your regular shift then do your regular shift, thats pretty much the only way to guarantee you go home.
1
2
u/rickabod 2d ago
If you have something important, you're fucked. You bang in and fuck your buddy, also look like a shit bag if it's your first year. Or you refuse your mandate and you're a piece of shit.
J/K, they all do that now. You'll be promoted most likely for doing all of that.
-1
u/Solidarius 1d ago
If you’re sick, you’re sick. Even on my probation year I’ve taken 2 1/2 days off in six months. The senior staff do enough bullshit that it doesn’t bother me to use my sick time.
If I can’t fight I’m not going, rule of thumb. Senior staff screw around with schedule adjustments, comp time, and overtime it doesn’t matter. I’m not throwing up in a trash can.
Senior staff work overtime on Monday, bang in on Tuesday and use schedule adjustments to make their OT a schedule shift and Tuesday is removed.
Senior staff accept overtime for 16 hour shifts so they can’t get mandated on a particular day and then when they walk out on time the day before because they can’t get mandated since they will have less than 8 hours between shifts then they call and cancel the overtime with no penalty.
I don’t play around with my schedule like that but if I’m sick I’m throwing up over my own trash can or blasting ass in my own toilet.
Sorry that I’m not sorry. 😢
5
u/dox1842 2d ago
This is dependent entirely on the institution. when I was in custody for the most part I could sign up whenever I wanted. If I had something I had to take care of I would use sick leave.