Work Shifts and Schedules. The parties shall reduce to writing what current scheduling practices prevail with respect to the length of the normal work week, starting and quitting times, days off, shifts or the rotation thereof, including Employer or employee requested temporary changes for training or seasonal reasons as indicated in Appendix B. Thereafter, where changes in schedules affecting bargaining unit employees are warranted by programmatic or operational need, the Employer shall notify the Union and, upon timely request, negotiate with it concerning such changes. If an agreement cannot be reached, the matter shall be settled via arbitration. Changes in work schedules and shifts for reasons other than operational needs may be made only through mutual agreement. Work schedules shall not be changed solely to avoid payment of overtime. All non-probationary employees shall be allowed to exercise their seniority, within their worksite, to change or retain shift assignments on December 1 of each year. An employee who is bumped shall subsequently be allowed to exercise his/her right to retain his/her shift assignment by bumping as well. Assignment pursuant to shift bidding will take effect on January 1. Employees may exercise shift bidding rights only within their current job classification series. The successful bidder must be able to perform the job with a minimum of training. A speical shift bid may take place when an employee vacates their position prior to the annual shift bid date of December 1. Employees may exchange shifts for their own convenience or the convenience of another employee covered by this Agreement), provided such exchange does not create overtime. It is understood that employees exchanging shifts accept the responsibility to work any overtime that may come with that shift in accordance with the overtime rotation schedule. Employees may flex their work schedule for educational or other purposes with the prior approval of the employee’s non-bargaining unit supervisor. This change of work hours will not constitute overtime on a daily basis even if the employee works more than seven and one-half (7.5) or eight (8) hours in a day. For schedule flexes with a duration of thirty (30) calendar days or more, the Union shall be notified by the Employer, in writing of the reason(s) for the change and the duration of such change. The Employer may not arbitrarily or capriciously deny an employee requesting a flex schedule.
Work Shifts and Schedules. The Department has the authority to assign and schedule all bargaining unit employees. The Chief of Police may change the permanent work schedule and shifts subject to the needs of the Department and the community. The Chief of Police will provide the SSPBA 30 days’ advance notice of Department-wide schedule change(s), and, at the SSPBA’s request, the Chief of Police will provide the opportunity to initiate bargaining on the subject. In the event of an emergency, the Chief of Police may amend the work shifts and schedules to meet the needs of the Department and the community while providing only the opportunity for notice and comment as is possible under the circumstances. However, the Chief of Police shall inform the SSPBA of the nature of the emergency. If the emergency staffing measures are implemented for longer than 180 days, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that the new staffing policy is no longer an emergency, but a change subject to bargaining.
