How to Achieve Fairness in Off-Duty Job Distribution
The process of distributing off-duty and secondary employment opportunities varies by agency, but most share a common concern.
How do you make job distribution a fair and transparent process?
The answer: Software
Software solutions simplify the process of scheduling and assigning jobs by providing automated tools to ensure that detail distribution is simple, fair, and adheres to established policies.
The first step when implementing fair practices is to identify the problem areas in detail distribution.
Are there more popular or higher paying jobs that cause tension amongst officers?
Is there a lack of trust in the coordinator to award jobs to the most eligible officers?
How do technical knowledge or on-duty hours factor into accessibility?
Is there a tendency for officers to overwork themselves?
Once we identify these concerns, we can begin to explore possible solutions.
Eligibility Requirements
The first step to establishing fair practices is to review the eligibility requirements for the jobs that are available to personnel.
Requirements such as restricting the number of hours someone can work per week may already be a part of your agency's policy, but how much effort is required to enforce them?
Hourly restrictions on secondary employment and overtime are a proven way to ensure that officers avoid excessive fatigue. If specialized training or certification is required to work certain details, these factors should also be taken into account.
PowerDetails uses features called Rules and Groups to put eligibility requirements into place before officers are even allowed to apply for jobs.
These features also assist in getting details filled faster by decluttering a calendar full of available jobs – officers can see exactly what they are eligible to work and clearly understand if any restrictions prevent them from working.
Creating a Fair Environment
Once eligibility rules are established, your agency can begin defining what is considered “fair” for your staff.
Popular or high paying jobs are good test cases. If certain “detail hogs” pick up more of these jobs than others, can you find a fair maximum number of jobs/hours to limit them within a week or month?
Occasionally, these more eager officers can be helpful when last-minute jobs come up. Consider having leniency periods for these scenarios. If there is ever a concern about an upcoming job that is unfilled, coordinators should feel empowered to lift certain fairness restrictions.
When moving to a software solution like PowerDetails, it is important to consider your personnel's technical knowledge. Some officers may be more tech-savvy than others and may have an advantage when searching for appealing jobs on your calendar.
Creating a Rule in PowerDetails that allows one application per every X minutes/hours, or places a cap on how many jobs someone can apply for in a single day, can put everyone on a more equal playing field. Leniency periods can also be implemented automatically for specific Rules to fill jobs efficiently.
Predictability
We all have the tendency to be tied to our phones. When introducing technology like a website or app to allow for remote detail selection, command staff must consider the potential for officers to “camp out” on their devices, waiting for freshly posted or prime jobs.
Creating predictable bidding days or post times can help remedy the fear of missing out.
Recurring details are often known about far out in advance, so setting up something like a monthly bidding day can allow officers to plan ahead and schedule their time appropriately. This can also cut down on cancellations since officers can submit applications more intentionally.
Choosing a pattern such as “the 15th of every month” or “the third Wednesday each month” allows officers to plan accordingly.
For the random or fast-approaching details that come up, selecting a certain time of day to release these jobs can prevent officers from feeling like they have to keep watch. If the agency receives a job request after your daily post time, schedule to release it the following day if possible.
PowerDetails can also allow for automated monthly releases of jobs.
The Job Set feature can be as simple as unlocking the jobs at a specific date/time, or can create a queue based on a random order, seniority, or specific data points. Jobs requested after the monthly picks can be scheduled for automatic release at the daily post time.
Removing the Human Factor
A software solution can not only save coordinators time, but it also removes them as the deciding factor on who gets to work which details.
With all of the previous settings and fairness tools in place, officer concerns about favoritism can be alleviated.
Coordinators can still perform manual assignments when necessary, but a software solution like PowerDetails, can automate much of the work, providing full transparency for everyone involved.
If you would like to experience the benefits of PowerDetails for yourself, please schedule a brief web-demonstration with us here and we’ll be happy to get you set up with a Free 15-day trial.
Are you ready to streamline your Extra-Duty Details?
