#04 - PW Operational Assessment Recommendation

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PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 15 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING Recommendation 2: Use the annual work plan to revisit policies restricting Operator PTO Recent, temporary, guidelines established within the Department allowed for a maximum of two Public Works Operators approved for PTO per day, a reduction from previous limits of four Operators approved for PTO on a given day. The reduction in this limit, while temporary, is indicative of the strain the Department is experiencing to meet workload demands with available staffing. (This limit has since been lifted.) The reduced PTO limit negatively affected morale within the Department. Operators have had numerous PTO requests denied, despite some requests being made months in advance, to the point that Operators do not feel that they are likely to be able to take the vacation that they have earned on the dates they would prefer to take it. Given a two-person PTO limit, however, denial of PTO requests is a likely outcome. Given the number of Operator positions (including the Lead Operator), and assuming an average accrual of 7.5 hours of PTO per pay period, plus an additional six days of sick leave per year, the Operators collectively earn almost 2,200 hours of time off each year. In other words, if time off were evenly distributed throughout the year, at least one Operator would be out every working day of the year. Time off requests are not distributed evenly, however. They naturally cluster around holidays and school breaks, which then leads to denials of PTO requests. While the perception of the need for aggressive PTO limits is understandable (i.e., the sense that Level of Service targets can only be met with a full complement of staff), a change in approach is warranted. First, there is some flexibility as to when some of the Department’s project work must be completed. Of all the work the Department completes in a year, the Department has significant flexibility as to when certain activities are conducted. Secondly, as noted earlier, on average, at least one Operator will be off every workday (assuming all PTO and sick leave is taken). Every day, then, that two or more Operators are on PTO mathematically results in one or more days that the Operators are fully staffed. Denial of PTO requests has had negative consequences on the Operators’ morale. Raftelis recommends that the Department revisit this limit with the goal of increasing it by using the annual work plan (Recommendation 1) to inform what this limit should be. This recommendation should be considered strategically as the annual work plan is being crafted. When planning certain seasonal projects, consideration should be given to grant PTO requests as part of the planning process. The potential to grant PTO may also be able to fluctuate seasonally based on work needs. Certain weeks of the year might intentionally be identified as “low power” weeks in which no major projects are planned. For example, aligning such a week with the local school district’s schedule for spring break may be advantageous. There is likely to be higher demand for PTO on that week, and as long as the Department is able to meet day-to-day operational needs, the time off that is taken that week will ensure more days of fully staffed operation the remainder of the year. Expounding on the notion of fluctuating PTO limits, the Department may wish to give special consideration to the snow plowing season (generally considered to be November 1 to March 31). Within the snow plowing season, the Department may not wish to approve so much PTO on any given day that it cannot staff the seven plowing routes in the City should there be a snowstorm. However, given the quality of modern weather forecasting, the Department may wish to grant additional PTO requests with a week’s notice should the forecast be sufficiently clear of potential snow risks. Reportedly, at least a form of this conditional granting of PTO (“approved off pending a snow event”) has been in place for several years. Ultimately, working to make the PTO that Operators have accrued more easily accessible to them is likely to improve morale within the Department at no fiscal cost and should be considered as the annual work plan is developed.