The Halifax Police Department endorses the plan to deal with the growing number of long-term absences
The Halifax Board of Police Commissioners has voted to support the recommendations of a staff study into understaffing, long-term absenteeism and mental illness at the Halifax Regional Police Department.
The report, which has been in the works for a year, defines long-term absences as absences from work of 30 days or more.
Between January 1, 2011 and December 13, 2022, long-term absenteeism increased by more than 259 percent. Many of those absences, the report says, were due to work-related injuries, which have been increasing over the past 10 years.
Melanie Gibson, human resource manager at the community, said during her presentation on Thursday it was difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the surge. Possibilities include legislative changes – such as B. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder benefits becoming more accessible in 2014 and 2018 — or the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We turned to research to identify potential contributors … So burnout was one of them, overworked employees — which not only includes excessive hours, but also more preoccupation with your time than it used to be — workplace stressors … and a lack of early detection,” , Gibson told the commission.
Gibson said HRP is able to detect some mental health problems at an early stage, but it’s not widespread.
Some of the report’s recommendations were:
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Consistently collecting data when staff are requested to fill regular shifts or when services need to be changed due to staffing shortages.
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Development of a staffing plan for cadet classes and the recruitment of experienced officers, addressing upcoming vacancies such as anticipated long-term absences.
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Assess how effective a reintegration program has been after one year and ensure the program has the support it needs to be successful, such as: B. Personnel and expertise. Efforts must be made to make employees aware of this program.
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Formalize a return to work program with measurable results and achievements.
Some long-term recommendations include focusing on prevention. This includes developing a mental health strategy to identify issues and provide early intervention and support for employees who are on sick leave.
Halifax Police Chief Dan Kinsella had previously asked the board for $628,000 to fund five new positions, including a new detective for the hate crime unit and an in-house psychologist.
Although the board declined, Halifax City Councilors later decided to push the idea of funding two of those positions forward for a final decision in late March.
Some changes were made before the report and its recommendations were approved. Commissioner Lisa Blackburn said the police union should be consulted.
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