Retired Staff in Crisis - A Follow Up
I have received quite a lot of interest in the discussion around
using volunteers and recalling recently retired staff. In response I would make a couple of
suggestions – largely aimed at the emergency services.
There are distinct areas of need within an organisation and
no way of knowing who will be available and who will be afflicted. For convenience I would suggest that
organisations concentrate on the point of delivery and on the command tier.
Increasing availability at the point of delivery is not easy
but solutions need to be considered before the peak of the contagion is reached. It is hard because delivery requires the most
up to date skills, certifications and fitness – the later not being the universal
hallmark of the retired. Ex staff need
to be approached, assessed and brought back into the organisation. They could be paid a retainer and left until
they are needed but it would be better if they got used to the workplace and
used the time for training and refreshing.
Where volunteers are used arrangements for upskilling and mobilisation
need to clarified and exercised. The
total numbers are likely to be small but in crisis they could make a
significant difference if used flexibly.
The numbers of command level returnees would be even smaller. Probably only a handful in each
organisation. In this case the question
for the senior leadership team is relatively straightforward: ‘who would we trust
to command a large incident or run an area/division/district’? A few recently retired, (say three to five
years out,) senior staff should be recruited now on short term contracts and given what they need
to feel comfortable in an organisation they thought they had left for
ever. Until used they could work part
time or undertake small projects or support roles. They are going to be in place for their
experience and to be an extra pair of hands so the most should be made of this
opportunity.
Competent command staff should also be being returned from
secondments now, ready for when they are required.
Of course returnees are no less likely to become unwell but
their presence will increase the experienced command pool that will be essential
should, for example, other major incidents occur.
We are in crisis. We
should not be too obsessed with arbitrary rules (‘all staff must have an up
to 1st aid certificate’ Staff must have completed XX learning
package etc). Duties such as
firearms command require up to date certification, but would an experienced ex
senior police officer whose public order qualification was six months out of
date really be a risk?, especially if a mitigation package was in place.
If a service is to be maintained, and the public protected,
bold steps are required. Agreeing temporary appointments is small fry compared to
some of the things that may confront the emergency services. Using a few willing pensioners isn’t bold, it’s
just common sense.
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