Dec 23/99
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PREAMBLE

It is accepted that the characteristics of an optimum schedule for any work group include:

• Reflecting operational and employee requirements/needs - i.e. that it ensures optimum job performance without compromising employee health and safety.
• Being flexible enough to be site-specific.
• Institution Training Officers (or Manager with those responsibilities) will develop a training plan that will ensure that 40 hours of training, including mandatory training is scheduled for all affected staff.

In order to achieve the scheduling solution that reflects these characteristics, a logical, systemic approach is required:

1. Schedules will deliver staff dictated by operational requirements.
2. Schedules must be in accordance with the OPSEU Collective Agreement.
3. Maximum number of 12-hour shifts in same 24-hour period should not exceed double the number of posts during lockup times except when there is a clear identification of an additional 12-hour workload.
4. Maximum number of consecutive 12-hour day shifts is four (4).
5. Schedules should include taking a statutory holiday on a statutory holiday provision wherever schedule will deliver extra correctional resources on a statutory holiday and for some specialized positions e.g. A & D, Driver, Housekeeping.
6. Staff meal/coffee breaks will be paid and will consist of no more than 60 minutes within each eight or twelve hour shift.
7. Overtime will be paid out; there will no longer be compensating time as per the Collective Agreement.
8. A vacation protocol will be included in scheduling negotiations; the maximum number of correctional officers permitted to take vacation on any given day will be determined by dividing the total available vacation credit entitlements for all Correctional Officers by 365.
9. Schedules will not include built-in relief e.g. vacation, illness, special & compassionate leave, union leave, stats or any other "authorized" leaves.

The following principles guide discussion of other scheduling issues:

10. Where appropriate, eight (8) hour shifts will be scheduled.
11. The schedule should ensure consistent, optimum staffing coverage from day to day; the exception would be specialized position weekend/statutory holiday coverage reflected by reduced activity.
12. The optimum staffing requirement under normal operating conditions should be specified. Where there is a deviation from normal operating conditions it should be specified that adjustments will be made e.g. for unit closure an appropriate reduction will apply; for emergent conditions, additional staff will be employed. It is recognized that in some instances, e.g. escorting an inmate to an outside hospital for emergency medical treatment, the institution may continue to operate for short periods of time below the optimum staffing requirement.
13. Fixed shifts may be permitted where appropriate.
14. RPT's may be used where appropriate.

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