Narrative:

On sep/fri/96 I was assigned a 7 shift at essex county airport tower (cdw). Also assigned a 6 shift was an employee who was ill and called in sick. As the controller in charge (controller in charge) because there was no supervisor on duty that day I called in overtime. The manager of the facility came to work and canceled the overtime. I informed him that would require me to work the whole shift (8 hours) by myself and that I would not do this. An employee who was scheduled to start work at 11 O'clock, and was not controller in charge rated (therefore could not relieve me of that position) called out sick. After manager was notified of situation he still would not allow overtime. At approximately XA45 I needed to use the bathroom, my manager was advised of my situation and that there was no one legally able to work in the tower. He told me to vacate the tower to use the bathroom. I informed approach (N90) that I was instructed to leave the tower. Moments earlier a BE35 attempted the NDB-a approach and went missed approach. He was talking to approach when I went to the bathroom on his second try to the airport. The aircraft landed without incident. The manager by not allowing overtime placed the safety of the users of the airport second to the use of overtime. This is not an isolated incident at this tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR RPTR CALLED OVERTIME REPLACEMENT FOR SHIFT STAFFING DUE TO SICK LEAVE. FACILITY MGR CANCELED OVERTIME REQUIRING RPTR TO WORK COMBINED POS. RPTR LEFT TWR VACANT FOR RESTROOM BREAK AT THE DIRECTION OF THE MGR WHILE AN ACFT WAS MAKING APCH.

Narrative: ON SEP/FRI/96 I WAS ASSIGNED A 7 SHIFT AT ESSEX COUNTY ARPT TWR (CDW). ALSO ASSIGNED A 6 SHIFT WAS AN EMPLOYEE WHO WAS ILL AND CALLED IN SICK. AS THE CTLR IN CHARGE (CIC) BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SUPVR ON DUTY THAT DAY I CALLED IN OVERTIME. THE MGR OF THE FACILITY CAME TO WORK AND CANCELED THE OVERTIME. I INFORMED HIM THAT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO WORK THE WHOLE SHIFT (8 HRS) BY MYSELF AND THAT I WOULD NOT DO THIS. AN EMPLOYEE WHO WAS SCHEDULED TO START WORK AT 11 O'CLOCK, AND WAS NOT CIC RATED (THEREFORE COULD NOT RELIEVE ME OF THAT POS) CALLED OUT SICK. AFTER MGR WAS NOTIFIED OF SIT HE STILL WOULD NOT ALLOW OVERTIME. AT APPROX XA45 I NEEDED TO USE THE BATHROOM, MY MGR WAS ADVISED OF MY SIT AND THAT THERE WAS NO ONE LEGALLY ABLE TO WORK IN THE TWR. HE TOLD ME TO VACATE THE TWR TO USE THE BATHROOM. I INFORMED APCH (N90) THAT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE THE TWR. MOMENTS EARLIER A BE35 ATTEMPTED THE NDB-A APCH AND WENT MISSED APCH. HE WAS TALKING TO APCH WHEN I WENT TO THE BATHROOM ON HIS SECOND TRY TO THE ARPT. THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE MGR BY NOT ALLOWING OVERTIME PLACED THE SAFETY OF THE USERS OF THE ARPT SECOND TO THE USE OF OVERTIME. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AT THIS TWR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.