Samuel Rapoza, CCS, NCCS
An often-overlooked factor many new employees do not consider when joining an agency is the relationship between management and the employees. In a perfect world, the welfare of the employees would be of paramount concern to an administrator. Similarly, the employees would then have a vested interest in the success of the agency and its mission. However, just as human nature necessitates public safety professions, it can also muddle the water of employee/employer relations. Each reciprocating wave of interactions and subjective views can raise tensions as both sides look to navigate the rocky seas of labor management. Yet both likely hope for calm waters and ultimately seek safe harbor to build a better future for the employees. Though their approaches may differ, both an employer and an organized workforce can find common ground in collaboration for staff wellness.
This is not to say that the goals on both sides of collective bargaining will always align. In fact, they can often diverge for very intentional reasons. Employers must consider the mission of their agency, fiscal and legal considerations, and balance the needs of their employees against their accountability to the public. But an organized workforce often looks to provide balance and ensure that the treatment of the employees remains above board with labor management being conducted fairly. Some areas of the country do not have a formal system of organized labor, but nevertheless, they may attest to their fair treatment from their employer. Yet in other areas, labor unions are not only considered to be a necessity, but are very much ingrained into the culture of local workforces. In some places, union activity is often viewed as a sort of ‘civic duty’ and inherently democratic in nature by preventing the consolidation of power by an employer.
Success and justification of each approach is often measured through the lens in which they view their individual roles. But when a resolution to a conflict is sought, a commonality of purpose, principle, and values provides a sure footing to build upon and provides a safe fallback point when good faith wanes. This is where the fight for staff wellness can be used to bring both sides to the table.
A Great Employee-Employer Relationship
If we were to examine an agency that exhibits a great employee/employer relationship, we would likely find a workforce that feels valued and supported. Staff wellness has been a leading employment topic for good reason. It facilitates the growth of an agency as a recruitment benefit, it helps to retain current staff, and it also supports a healthy work culture and employer brand. Few initiatives can permeate such a multitude of key facets of workforce development as does staff wellness.
On the surface, the responsibility for staff wellness may appear to fall more heavily on the employer. A successful wellness plan for employees requires support from an administration—both in its mission and financially. Informal support provided by a conglomeration of employees would likely struggle without formal agency support. It could also be said that there is a certain moral responsibility of the employer to provide for the best interests of its employees. Though not rising to the level of “custodianship” an employer is expected to make good-faith decisions regarding the welfare of their employees.
But what a workforce (both union and non-union) lacks in authority, they make up for in autonomy. As was previously mentioned, proper staff wellness initiatives require support from administration. However, they also call for something just as important: staff buy-in. No one knows the needs of the employees better than themselves and with an organized labor force (either formally or informally) the expectation is that they represent the consensus of the employees. Endorsement and support of staff wellness initiatives by a union not only facilitate staff buy-in but may lessen any concerns from unintentional pressure not to utilize a resource which may benefit them.
Some agencies may choose to approach staff wellness initiatives as a collaborative effort along with the employees or a union. There is no more deserving cause worthy of setting aside the diverging opinions relating to labor management than the welfare of the staff. With such an inherently polarizing topic of labor management, often nothing is given without asking for something in return—even outside of collective bargaining sessions. Any well-intentioned benefit or initiative can easily fall victim of being used as a “bargaining chip” to further other goals on either side. But it is in the best interests of both an employer and the employees to embrace staff wellness as a unified front, while still retaining their ability to remain steadfast in their other positions. The aid provided through staff wellness programs can be viewed independently by both sides as a benefit for their collective goals.
Aside from the obvious concern an employer should have for the wellness of their staff, there are several ways in which staff wellness programs contribute towards the betterment of an agency. Among other things, a wellness program can lessen sick time usage, improve morale, foster a strong agency culture, and provide a tangible employment benefit towards recruitment.
For a union’s part, staff wellness is very much at the core of its group’s collective tenets. The human aspect is provided by the staff, which organized labor is expected to represent. Low retention, early retirements, and staff resignations are damaging for an agency and may be used to drive forward the agenda of an organized labor force. However, what may be overlooked is that this often comes from a place of concern for the employees. What needs to be understood by both sides is that it is in the best interests of both the employees and employer for an agency to be successful. But it is in the metric used to gauge that success where the sides may diverge.
What Defines Success?
Is success determined by an agency meeting its fiscal benchmarks? Or is success found in its ability to complete the annual goals and objectives? For the part of, not just a union but the employees themselves, success may be seen as an agency being a great place to work, with employees being treated fairly and feeling valued and appreciated. In truth, success is likely a mix of both and this balance oftentimes requires concessions from either side.
Staff wellness is an easy initiative for which garner bilateral support because its success yields equal benefits to both the employees and the employer.
Financial considerations aside, finding ways for an organized labor force to support staff wellness initiatives may look different for some areas of the country and can be incredibly nuanced. Employers and unions may decide to consolidate resources for outreach, tools, and local connections. Many agencies are limited in their ability to solicit private companies for special incentives due to ethical reasons and local laws, where individual employees either in their capacity as private citizens or as part of a collective group are not restricted in these ways. An example may be in finding a local gym for employees. An agency may be limited in their ability to negotiate a special rate for their employees due to ethical concerns. However there may be lesser restriction in a group of off-duty employees doing so in an unofficial capacity, separate from their employer.
Peer support groups provide another way for an employer and union to support one another. Agency endorsement of a peer support group is not always necessary however adoption of a formalized group operating in the workplace can certainly contribute towards its’ success. Endorsement of a peer support group by a union can lend it further credibility and lessen reluctance some staff may have against the stigma of reaching out for help. This group can be a resource for a union in providing a pathway for staff facing personal issues which could affect their work performance.
First Steps
As with any change to corrections or law enforcement, training is often the first step. Finding a good source for trainings relating to physical, mental, or even financial wellness of employees can be a joint effort between the staff and the employer. The struggles and challenges faced by employees are unique and there can be many factors influencing them. A “one size fits all” approach to wellness trainings may not work for all agencies, which is why the employees are best suited to provide insight into the needs of the workforce.
Though both an employer and a union may tout the individual successes of a wellness plan, it is the employer who would be most likely to also consider the objective benefits as they apply to operations and fiscal concerns. Organized labor (either formally as with a union or an informal group) is more likely to focus on the subjective realities regarding the effects a wellness plan has on the employees themselves through personal stories. Acknowledging and accepting the roles both sides play in achieving staff wellness can help find common ground, whatever the climate that exists between the two. But regardless of either side’s approach or the lens through which they view staff wellness, the need for staff wellness is universal, and has the unique potential to be incredibly unifying.
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Samuel Rapoza, CCS, NCCS is a Captain with the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts. He has over 20 years of experience working in corrections and is currently responsible for coordinating his agency’s recruitment initiatives as well as being assigned to the Crisis Negotiation Team. He holds a certificate from Cornell University in Recruitment and Talent Acquisition. He also currently serves on the AJA Correctional Workplace Committee. For more information, he can be contacted at samuelrapoza@bcso-ma.org
