Reporter claims there is an occasional serious staffing problem at hef tower.

Attributes
ACN	487826
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hef.tower
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : combined local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 27
ASRS Report	487826
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility FAA
Primary Problem	ATC Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : hef.tower staffing : hef.tower

Narrative:

Only 1 controller working from XA15 to XG30. No breaks, no food, no bathroom, no relief. People abusing sick leave policy and management does nothing. Very unsafe. Traffic moderate to heavy! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the facility staffing is presently normal. The tower has a BRITE radar, operates 16 hours a day, and staffing consists of 10 controllers and 1 trainee. However, because of several regular sick leave abusers, some shifts end up short staffed. Reporter feels management is avoiding the problem and doing nothing to curtail the sick leave abuse. Reporter said several times it was necessary to close the tower because no one was available to work.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THERE IS AN OCCASIONAL SERIOUS STAFFING PROB AT HEF TWR.

Narrative: ONLY 1 CTLR WORKING FROM XA15 TO XG30. NO BREAKS, NO FOOD, NO BATHROOM, NO RELIEF. PEOPLE ABUSING SICK LEAVE POLICY AND MGMNT DOES NOTHING. VERY UNSAFE. TFC MODERATE TO HVY! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FACILITY STAFFING IS PRESENTLY NORMAL. THE TWR HAS A BRITE RADAR, OPERATES 16 HRS A DAY, AND STAFFING CONSISTS OF 10 CTLRS AND 1 TRAINEE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REGULAR SICK LEAVE ABUSERS, SOME SHIFTS END UP SHORT STAFFED. RPTR FEELS MGMNT IS AVOIDING THE PROB AND DOING NOTHING TO CURTAIL THE SICK LEAVE ABUSE. RPTR SAID SEVERAL TIMES IT WAS NECESSARY TO CLOSE THE TWR BECAUSE NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO WORK.

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.