Narrative:

On the evening of jun/mon/00, staffing on the shift at ind ATCT reached critical levels. A shift to be staffed with 6 controllers was left with less. At XC00, negotiated staffing dictates that 4 controllers start the shift (in addition to 4 controllers who overlap on the XA00-XB00 shift). Only half of those individuals (2) made it in, with one calling in sick after only 3 were scheduled to work. At XB00, after some go home, 2 more controllers are to join the operation, bringing the total to 6. At about XA50 local I walked into the facility to request to earn credit hours and found that my presence in the facility was greatly needed. The supervisor on duty was delighted to approve my request, indicated a body was badly needed for the operation. Typically, at XB00, at least 5 operating position are open. The intent is to have a body on break in the facility while everyone works the mail and cargo freighters inbound (indianapolis is the fastest growing cargo hub in the united states). With only 4 controllers scheduled to be in the operation, that would have required the supervisor to work (and keeping him from his principle job, to oversee the operation) while forcing the remaining controllers to exceed 2 hours on position. This would not even allow controllers to get a drink if thirsty. Nor would it allow a controller to walk to the restroom during that time should 'nature call.' at the national level, both parties frown upon leaving controllers on position in excess of 2 hours in the FAA/natca collective bargaining agreement. Earlier in the morning, management called in overtime for the shift when the number went down from 5 to 4 due to illness. They found a person to work overtime and brought the number of controllers back up to 5 (still 1 below numbers). Why wouldn't management call in overtime when the shift once again went down to 4 after another controller called in sick roughly 3 hours prior to his shift? Another is management restr to calling in only 1 overtime body per shift? Why was a body needed earlier that day, but not that night when numbers were the same? This completely defies any kind of logic. It almost appears that management is trying to mistreat controllers when they feel sick leave usage is not valid, or try to push controllers to come in while they are sick, or to ignore family members if they are ill and require attention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR WALKS INTO THE IND TWR APCH FACILITY HR TO EARN CREDIT HRS AND FINDS THE SHIFT UNDERSTAFFED.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF JUN/MON/00, STAFFING ON THE SHIFT AT IND ATCT REACHED CRITICAL LEVELS. A SHIFT TO BE STAFFED WITH 6 CTLRS WAS LEFT WITH LESS. AT XC00, NEGOTIATED STAFFING DICTATES THAT 4 CTLRS START THE SHIFT (IN ADDITION TO 4 CTLRS WHO OVERLAP ON THE XA00-XB00 SHIFT). ONLY HALF OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS (2) MADE IT IN, WITH ONE CALLING IN SICK AFTER ONLY 3 WERE SCHEDULED TO WORK. AT XB00, AFTER SOME GO HOME, 2 MORE CTLRS ARE TO JOIN THE OP, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 6. AT ABOUT XA50 LCL I WALKED INTO THE FACILITY TO REQUEST TO EARN CREDIT HRS AND FOUND THAT MY PRESENCE IN THE FACILITY WAS GREATLY NEEDED. THE SUPVR ON DUTY WAS DELIGHTED TO APPROVE MY REQUEST, INDICATED A BODY WAS BADLY NEEDED FOR THE OP. TYPICALLY, AT XB00, AT LEAST 5 OPERATING POS ARE OPEN. THE INTENT IS TO HAVE A BODY ON BREAK IN THE FACILITY WHILE EVERYONE WORKS THE MAIL AND CARGO FREIGHTERS INBOUND (INDIANAPOLIS IS THE FASTEST GROWING CARGO HUB IN THE UNITED STATES). WITH ONLY 4 CTLRS SCHEDULED TO BE IN THE OP, THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE SUPVR TO WORK (AND KEEPING HIM FROM HIS PRINCIPLE JOB, TO OVERSEE THE OP) WHILE FORCING THE REMAINING CTLRS TO EXCEED 2 HRS ON POS. THIS WOULD NOT EVEN ALLOW CTLRS TO GET A DRINK IF THIRSTY. NOR WOULD IT ALLOW A CTLR TO WALK TO THE RESTROOM DURING THAT TIME SHOULD 'NATURE CALL.' AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, BOTH PARTIES FROWN UPON LEAVING CTLRS ON POS IN EXCESS OF 2 HRS IN THE FAA/NATCA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. EARLIER IN THE MORNING, MGMNT CALLED IN OVERTIME FOR THE SHIFT WHEN THE NUMBER WENT DOWN FROM 5 TO 4 DUE TO ILLNESS. THEY FOUND A PERSON TO WORK OVERTIME AND BROUGHT THE NUMBER OF CTLRS BACK UP TO 5 (STILL 1 BELOW NUMBERS). WHY WOULDN'T MGMNT CALL IN OVERTIME WHEN THE SHIFT ONCE AGAIN WENT DOWN TO 4 AFTER ANOTHER CTLR CALLED IN SICK ROUGHLY 3 HRS PRIOR TO HIS SHIFT? ANOTHER IS MGMNT RESTR TO CALLING IN ONLY 1 OVERTIME BODY PER SHIFT? WHY WAS A BODY NEEDED EARLIER THAT DAY, BUT NOT THAT NIGHT WHEN NUMBERS WERE THE SAME? THIS COMPLETELY DEFIES ANY KIND OF LOGIC. IT ALMOST APPEARS THAT MGMNT IS TRYING TO MISTREAT CTLRS WHEN THEY FEEL SICK LEAVE USAGE IS NOT VALID, OR TRY TO PUSH CTLRS TO COME IN WHILE THEY ARE SICK, OR TO IGNORE FAMILY MEMBERS IF THEY ARE ILL AND REQUIRE ATTN.

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.