Texas Police Department: Effects of officers Sleep Deprivation on Work and Family

Texas Police Department: Effects of Officers Sleep Deprivation on Work and Family

Norma Fernandez

American Public University System

2016

Abstract

Law enforcement agencies nationwide have traditionally used the basic 40-hours workweek. This leaves the officers working 5 days a week, and 8-hours a day, giving them two days off. Over the year on increasing number of law enforcement agencies have moved to the (CWW) compressed workweek schedule. In return this will leave the officer working a three 12-hour shift days, plus a time adjustment in order to make up the 4 hour (CWW). This has become a trend with law enforcement agencies, in fire departments and medical units. On the law enforcements side there has been few rigorous scientific studies that examine the advantages and the disadvantages of working a compressed work week. This paper is written to test the hypothesis, that working a four-day workweek, 40-hour compressed work schedule can overall help officers. That It helps balance out the officer’s equilibrium between work, social lives and family time.

The introduction

Law enforcement work often goes from stages of boredom, to performing at a fast pace. A high-profile service may be called in and at first may seem to be confusing. The officer has to be at functioning capacity in order to fully take control of the situation. This places an extreme amount of pressure on the officers, mental health, and physical health and places an emotional demand on the officer. With all these demands placed on law enforcement, one would think it’s a requirement for officers to be on point. Yet studies and research shows that many officers in police departments nationwide are highly fatigued while on the clock (Villa, Morrison, & Kenne, 2002). Shift work hours have a potential to become an occupational stressor. The most commonly seen problems relating to the amount of hours worked on one shift are, the noticeable decrease in quality and quantity of the officer’s sleep (Charles, Burchfiel & Fekedulegn, 2007). Lack of quality and quantity of sleep has been reported to have affects that lead officers feeling cognitively impaired and physically worn out. This, making it hard for officers to effectively cope with everyday challenges (villa, 2002). Police officers work hours unfortunately, are a necessary do evil because it is a job that runs 24 hours and Steven days a week.

 Since the beginning of policing, police managers were faced challenges on how to come up with a more tolerable shift work week, for all officers. Policing was a bit different in the 19th century; police managers would have the officer’s sleep, while at their duty stations. For one reason being, the officers were a reserve back up in case of an emergency (Villa, 2002). Things work different now than they did ten or twenty years ago, one solution to this issue is the implementation of the compressed shift work. When the compressed work schedule is used the officers work day is extended, on the up side the officers work less days and hours a week. (Vila, B, & Moore, J, 2008). The compressed work week schedule has been proven to be a possible way to help law enforcement agencies reduce the overtime cost. Though there have been few studies and little research conducted showing that utilizing a compressed work week actually makes it more tolerable within the police departments. The main framework of my proposal research paper, is that the compressed shift work has a negative effect on the officer’s overall health and their well-being, based off the Kundis destabilization theory of shift work (from 1989). According to this theory, there has been proven data showing that equilibrium exists; this would be on a healthy person, showing equilibrium between the officer’s family, work life and their social life. An individual’s work shift hours and the shift they are placed on directly affect their equilibrium. Because it creates an imbalance between the officer’s work, social and family lives.

These shift work hours create this so called imbalance, because the officers are forced to work nontraditional work schedules. The work schedules include night shift work hours, working weekends, holidays and many times working shifts when their family and friends are not working or not at school. Things such as these interfere with the officer’s equilibrium, in which leads to an increasing amount risk factors placed on the officer’s health (Kundi, 1989). There is one possible solution to reduce some of the risk factors that officers go through daily, and possible ways to reduce health issues. The reason for the theory of working a compressed work schedule is having the officer work longer work days, so the work week is shortened. In return balancing the equilibrium, so there are more hours to spend on family time and more social time with their peers (Bell, 2015).

Now according to the study done by Amendol (2011), sates that the best compressed work week schedules, are those that equal a four-day, 40 hours weekly. Amendol (2011) found that officers gained more sleep hours during the week, and had a higher quality level of life as well. Another great outcome was that the average overtime decreased for each shift hours, by the officers who worked the eight hour and the 12 hour shifts. My proposal will test the hypothesis, if having law enforcement officers work a compressed work week of 40 hours in four days. Better for the officers in terms of, is the schedule helping the officer balance out equilibrium between family, social lives, health and work. My paper focuses on the work schedules pretending to the United States Secret Service Emergency Response Team, Known as (USSS.ERT). When Amendola (2011) decided to conducted a research they did so based off traditional police departments. Though the USSS ERT clearly isn’t a traditional police department, they do serve a mission.

Therefore, their schedule is linked to schedules their VIP’S use. Things like last minute movements, travel, and the change of schedules are common. Although there are some differences in roles and responsibilities and the basic functions surrounding the traditional police department and USSS ERT, with the goal being, the same results can ultimately be achieved. If the USSS ERT uses my research and proves that a 40 hour, four-day compressed work shift week schedule to be a viable option for police departments, it will show great flexibility within their schedules. The USSS ERT has not ever worked any form of compressed work week. If I can prove my hypothesis to be true, that a compressed schedule helps officers better balance their lives. Then this may be used in departments as a standard schedule for law enforcement. Providing officers with a work schedule with less overtime and back to back days off, could allow them to have free time with family, friends and allow them enough time to rest and take care of their overall health and any health issues. If a schedule can accomplish these goals, this will lead to happier, more productive healthier police officers (Kundi, 1989).

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