REPORT RAPPORT

DATE:	28 July 2014
TO/DEST:	Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board
FROM/EXP:	Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service
SUBJECT/OBJET:	OPERATIONAL BACKFILL PROGRAM FOR COMMUNICATION CENTRE CLERKS

RECOMMENDATION

That the Ottawa Police Services Board approve the Operational Backfill Program for Communication Centre Clerks.

BACKGROUND

The Communication Centre has a unique requirement to be staffed on a 24/7 basis in accordance with the emergency service that it provides.  As well, staffing levels are governed by the minimum levels required under the Provincial Adequacy Standards and the volume of work that is presented to the section on a daily basis.

In 2007 it was determined that the Communication Centre would have a permanent complement of 102 clerks spread out over six platoons as well as a fixed afternoon shift. This figure was determined to be the optimal staffing level for the Communication Centre at that time so as to accommodate the volume of calls, employee leave requests and manage short term absences due to employee illnesses.

Since that time the Communication Centre management team has found that other kinds of factors and employee absences are reducing staffing below acceptable levels.  They include:

· Short term employee accommodations

· Priority placement accommodations

· Permanent employee accommodations

· Employees on maternity leave

· Employees on parental leave

· Employees on long term disability (LTD – beyond 17 weeks)

· Temporary assignments of employees outside of the Communication Centre, and

· Employees on leave of absences.

Significant efforts have been made by the team to counteract the impact of these factors and maintain staffing at acceptable levels.  For example, they have implemented shift changes, made platoon transfers and when necessary, overtime has been used.

The most effective strategy to keep staffing at acceptable levels has been to use the “gapping funds” or “vacancy factor” created by employees absent from work and not drawing a salary, to hire a temporary replacement communication clerk.  This situation occurs in the case of maternity leaves, parental leaves, LTD, temporary assignments outside of the Communication Centre and employee leave of absences. In these circumstances a government agency, the insurance carrier or another OPS section covers the employee’s salary costs, leaving the OPS salary dollars available to the Communication Centre team to hire a temporary replacement worker.  The number of temporary employees hired under this approach has varied from quarter to quarter, depending on the gapping funds available.

The goal of this report is to gain approval from the Board to formalize this “Operational Backfill Program” using permanent employees.

DISCUSSION

The Need for Permanent Employees

The hiring process for Communication Centre Clerks has unique requirements which reflect the challenge and complexity of the role.  In fact the time and costs associated with hiring and training in the Communications Centre, discussed below, is higher than any other section within OPS.

To succeed in the competition, candidates must meet the requirements set out for the job; pass the language testing; pass the psychological testing; and pass the background check process. Once hired, Communication Centre Clerks have a 12 month training period with their coach officer to become proficient in all three aspects of the job. Once released from the initial training, Clerks continue their professional development by attending a regular cycle of training days during which Provincial Adequacy Standard training is also administered.

The hiring and training process is not a flexible one that lends itself to easily or quickly hiring a Communication Centre Clerk for a limited term of employment.  As well, given the long initial training period and continuous training cycle, the OPS risks a return on its hiring and training investment in the case of temporary employees.  For these reasons staff are recommending that the Operational Backfill Program be staffed with permanent employees.

The Operational Backfill Program

The Operational Backfill Program to be used in the Communications Centre will follow five business rules:

1. The number of full time permanent positions that can be created and staffed under the Program will be equal to the number of permanent employees whose compensation costs no longer reside in the Communications Centre (gapping). Examples of this are:

a. maternity leave

b. parental leave

c. LTD

d. temporary assignments to other sections in OPS, and

e. leave of absences.

2. Operational Backfill positions are considered to be part of the authorized Full Time Employee (FTE) count and therefore permanent employees can be hired to fill these positions. 

3. Operational Backfill positions will be managed on an “as needed” basis which means that the number of positions increases or decreases during the year depending on the current status of the staffing levels (within reason) and the corresponding funding.

4. Management will review complement levels on a quarterly basis.

5. Each year the budget document will reflect the estimated number of Operation Backfill positions required for the Communications Centre.

Estimated Impact of the Program

The introduction of the Program will support the goal of achieving the 95-100% staffing ratio required to meet the optimal staffing requirements in the Communication Centre. The following table demonstrates the impact it will have when applied to the current situation, bringing active staffing levels from 82% to 93%.

Communication Centre Clerk Current Staffing Summary
Total Communication Centre  FTE Positions		102	Active Staffing %
Staffing Shortages - Funded
Maternity Leave	2
Parental Leave	0
LTD	5
Temporary Assignments	4
Total – Funded	11
Staffing Shortages - Unfunded
Priority Placement	3
Accommodation	4
Total – Unfunded	7
Less: Total in-active staff		18
Total Current Active Staff Positions		84	82%
Add:  Operational Backfill (Funded) Positions		11
Total Potential Active Staff		95	93%

Successfully Managing the Risks of the Program

The Board and OPS staff will need to manage several risks in order for the program to succeed:

1) Management will continually need to identify which shortages within the Communication Centre generate gapping funding.  At present there exists funding for 11 operational backfill positions.  Consideration for additional hiring for the Program can only occur when staff are confident that additional gapping funding is available.

2) There is the possibility that the organization may be over-complement or under- complement from time to time.  For the period that the Communication Centre Clerk is on unpaid leave or assignment outside of the section, and the backfilling member has been hired, the organization will be at the authorized civilian complement level approved by the Board through this report.  When the Communication Centre member returns to OPS or the section, then the Communications Centre will be “over-complement” until such a time that another clerk leaves for similar reasons (i.e. funded from other source) or a permanent vacancy becomes available for the “operational backfill” clerk to be placed.  In this way the overall staff complement can return to the approved level.  Staff will make every effort to ensure this program has no impact on the overall financial position of OPS.

CONSULTATION

Not required.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Not applicable.

CONCLUSION

The Operational Backfill Program can help to ensure that staffing levels are not degraded while staff are absent from their roles.  Strategies that help to maximize staffing levels benefit the OPS service delivery. The financial aspects of this arrangement can be managed so as to ensure that any budget implications are short term and not a major impact on the overall civilian complement. 

(Original signed by)

Charles Bordeleau

Chief of Police

Responsible for Report: Director General Frazer