June 2010
Probation Corrections Officers & Bargained for Rest Periods & Meal Period
I received a telephone call from a probation corrections officer (PCO) this week informing me that the PCOs are so overworked they are not getting their breaks. "Aren't we supposed to get breaks?" the PCO asked. After a review of the Specialized Peace Officer & Specialized Peace Officer Supervisory Unit Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), I informed the PCO that he is entitled to two fifteen (15) minute rest breaks and one meal period of twenty (20) minutes for an eight (8) hour shift. "Hasn't anyone called you to complain about this?" he asked. I told him, "no." "Well, you need to call the PCOs; they'll tell you," he replied, so I proceed to do just that.
Almost everyone I spoke to said that they were not getting their two (2) fifteen (15) minute rest breaks, nor the twenty minute (20) meal period. There were many reasons for not taking or getting rest breaks and meal periods. Some PCOs said they were too busy to take breaks. They didn't want to ask their peers to relieve them because they knew their peers were also busy. One PCO was trying to get a break and asked her supervisor. The supervisor told the PCO that she needed to use her "resources". The PCO took the remark to say, "call your peers and ask them to relieve you for a break." I asked her why she didn't call her supervisor if she wasn't able to get a peer to relieve her. She hesitated, and then responded, "She would just laugh at me."
I brought the complaint to the attention of Mr. Perez, Division Director II, West Valley Juvenile Detention and Assessment Center (WVJDAC). He, too, was unaware that this was a problem. He said he would talk to his supervisory staff about the complaint that was made regarding rest breaks or meal periods. The PCO would not need to use his/her own "resources". The supervisor would make sure that a break was provided to the PCO, if the PCO requested one. Mr. Perez did state that it was up to the PCO to inform the supervisor that he/she needed a break and that PCOs should understand that they may have to wait until arrangements for a break could be made.
Why are the PCOs not getting their breaks or meal periods? The PCOs say that they are so inundated with their regular recording requirements, the Performance Based Standards (PBS) recording requirements, along with the current message they are getting from administration that minors should not be confined in their rooms unless absolutely necessary. Mr. Perez stated that the PBS contract was not going to be renewed due to a lack of funding. Therefore, that would be one less duty for the PCOs. It was a duty that many PCOs complained was very time consuming. However, Mr. Perez stated that he believed it was more beneficial to the minors and staff if the minors' confinement to their room was limited.
I interviewed supervisors also and found that they were unaware of the problem. It had not been brought to their attention. Some of the supervisors I interviewed said they would be more than willing to provide a break to their subordinates as long as they knew of the need for a break, and had the time to provide it. One supervisor voiced the concern that maybe the Safety and Security Team should be brought back to the institution for breaks and officer safety. There was a Safety & Security Team at WVJDAC when it first opened. The team, along with other duties, had Rover(s) who would provide breaks to the PCOs. The team would provide an additional benefit of having PCOs who could respond to Codes in a more expedient manner since they are not directly responsible for minors. I provided this input to Mr. Perez who stated that with the current economic situation, that was probably not feasible.
I interviewed a couple of PCOs and a supervisor from the third shift and found that they did not have a problem because they had a rover to provide breaks. Rovers! Maybe that's the solution to the problem. I don't know, but I decided to write this article to inform you that if you need a break, bring it to your supervisor's attention. Give your supervisor an opportunity to correct the problem. Mr. Perez and I are hoping that by bringing the awareness to the PCOs' and supervisors' attention, the problem can be resolved informally. If the problem continues, let me know.
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