OIG: Needs to Improve Efforts to Retain, Hire, and Train Its Screeners
Apr 6, 2019, 12:42 pm
#16
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Even if TSA did stop suspecting all people, it's highly unlikely the agency could ever be effective at protecting anyone
BTW:
Bullying by Management
BTW:
Bullying by Management
Apple security is notoriously tight - they don't mess around when they screen their employees. I suspect TSA could learn a lot about how a well-run security team functions by watching the way Apple screens its employees.
Apr 6, 2019, 1:43 pm
#17
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If TSA really took security seriously, this would not be happening. A work force engaging in bullying of co-workers and pax is a work force that is not focused on its mission. As TSA constantly reminds us, it only takes one slip-up, one missed container of breast milk or one tablet 'artfully concealed' inside a daypack or between someone's legs to lead to disaster.
Apple security is notoriously tight - they don't mess around when they screen their employees. I suspect TSA could learn a lot about how a well-run security team functions by watching the way Apple screens its employees.
Apple security is notoriously tight - they don't mess around when they screen their employees. I suspect TSA could learn a lot about how a well-run security team functions by watching the way Apple screens its employees.
Apr 6, 2019, 3:38 pm
#18
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As I've commented before, there must be airports with happy employees and no retention problems. TSA doesn't even need to look outside the organization to find working examples of 'best practices'.
I wonder where the TSA union leaders are while all this is going on. If the poor TSO who committed suicide was falling asleep on the job, that doesn't make me feel very safe.
I wonder where the TSA union leaders are while all this is going on. If the poor TSO who committed suicide was falling asleep on the job, that doesn't make me feel very safe.
Last edited by chollie; Apr 6, 2019 at 3:46 pm
Apr 17, 2019, 11:15 am
#19
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Competitive pay is, of course, a major factor in employee retention in any field, but it's not the only factor. Scheduling and duties are also factors.
But in my mind, morale is the biggest factor. If an employee hate his job, whether it's because he's constantly asked to "do more with less"; or because his efforts are not recognized AND rewarded; or because his employer's or supervisor's shortcomings are constantly blamed on him; or simply because everything he's asked to do is either meaningless or actively harmful to others; then of course, the employee's morale will be non-existent and he will leave the job, no matter how well or poorly he's being compensated and benefited. Such is the case, IMHO, with TSA.
The agency as a whole - with particular emphasis on management - is to blame for its high turnover. Policies are stupid, ineffective, or outright harmful to the very people and society the agency was chartered to protect. Middle-management is either incompetent or apathetic, or both. Upper management is incompetent and openly hostile to both the rank and file, and the general public. And the public itself, the very people whom TSA is chartered to protect, is inexplicably hostile toward the employees of an agency that treats them like criminals or a hostile enemy force while feeding them a line of BS that all of the abuse heaped on them by the agency is "for their protection".
My advice is, don't focus on pay - that's a red herring thrown out by both management and the union to divert attention from the real shortcomings of the agency. Focus instead on the agency's deepest, most fundamental problem: that it makes war on the the people whose safety and security are their reason for being. Stop suspecting all people, and start protecting them, and only then will TSA become both trustworthy and effective enough to actually be a decent place to work.
But in my mind, morale is the biggest factor. If an employee hate his job, whether it's because he's constantly asked to "do more with less"; or because his efforts are not recognized AND rewarded; or because his employer's or supervisor's shortcomings are constantly blamed on him; or simply because everything he's asked to do is either meaningless or actively harmful to others; then of course, the employee's morale will be non-existent and he will leave the job, no matter how well or poorly he's being compensated and benefited. Such is the case, IMHO, with TSA.
The agency as a whole - with particular emphasis on management - is to blame for its high turnover. Policies are stupid, ineffective, or outright harmful to the very people and society the agency was chartered to protect. Middle-management is either incompetent or apathetic, or both. Upper management is incompetent and openly hostile to both the rank and file, and the general public. And the public itself, the very people whom TSA is chartered to protect, is inexplicably hostile toward the employees of an agency that treats them like criminals or a hostile enemy force while feeding them a line of BS that all of the abuse heaped on them by the agency is "for their protection".
My advice is, don't focus on pay - that's a red herring thrown out by both management and the union to divert attention from the real shortcomings of the agency. Focus instead on the agency's deepest, most fundamental problem: that it makes war on the the people whose safety and security are their reason for being. Stop suspecting all people, and start protecting them, and only then will TSA become both trustworthy and effective enough to actually be a decent place to work.
I understand that from your point of view may it may feel like TSA is not security, or that it is not an integral part of the system, but it actually is. TSA covers tons of other areas outside of the checkpoints. There is a large intelligence component, other transportation venues and methods, infrastructure security, pipeline security - all of that falls under the protection of the Nations traveling public. TSA has reasoning behind their SOP, and whether you or I or anyone else agrees with the way that we do things, it is still a large component of the travel experience, especially in the aviation sector.
If an operation has high employee turnover, investment in training and retaining employees tends to be retarded to a low level unless and until it involves employees who have been around for a very long time, and even then it ends up being more like a favoritism thing than a meritocracy. But who wants to stick around the TSA for very long and will stick around? Seems like people with few to no good options to move. That would suggest investing more in people with poor career possibilities, but then the operation would find that the investment increased their employability outside and the better of the bottom bunch would mostly jump ship too unless stuck in a region with bad employment opportunities.
If the TSA were undone and screening returned to pre-2001 type of screening, this whole problem with TSA rank and file would go away and there would be a net savings and an eventual elimination of the ridiculous ID-as-security nonsense that we have in play at airports currently.
If the TSA were undone and screening returned to pre-2001 type of screening, this whole problem with TSA rank and file would go away and there would be a net savings and an eventual elimination of the ridiculous ID-as-security nonsense that we have in play at airports currently.
Last edited by TWA884; Apr 17, 2019 at 12:50 pm Reason: Merge consecutive posts by the same member; please use the multi-quote function. Thank you.
Apr 29, 2019, 3:01 pm
#20
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https://nj1015.com/newark-airport-ts...jerks-opinion/
The TSA workers stood barking orders in a manner that should only be reserved for induction day at a prison. It was pathetic the way these workers yelled at some of these travelers. Much of it wasn't the wording; it was the unnecessary screaming and the derisive, insulting tone.
"Why would you push that forward when I didn't tell you to push that forward!"
"You're messing everything up! Just stop it!"
"Yes, in the tub! Isn't that what we just said?! Didn't we just say that?! In the TUB!"
"NO! YOU don't push that! WE push that! Get your hands OFF IT!"
"Why would you push that forward when I didn't tell you to push that forward!"
"You're messing everything up! Just stop it!"
"Yes, in the tub! Isn't that what we just said?! Didn't we just say that?! In the TUB!"
"NO! YOU don't push that! WE push that! Get your hands OFF IT!"
Apr 29, 2019, 4:22 pm
#21
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Apr 29, 2019, 4:27 pm
#22
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I thought that with the 'academy' training, everyone was supposed to be on the same page, so I have to assume that the aggressive attitude is something the EWR FSD insists on.
Apr 29, 2019, 5:05 pm
#23
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The self pity and anger for poor life choices leading to a career as a TSA screener accounts for a lot of the witnessed bad behaviors.
Apr 30, 2019, 12:25 pm
#24
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I've read many times that many new hires do NOT want part-time jobs.
If that's an on-going problem at some airports (and I've been reading complaints about it going back at least a decade), then why, in a tightening labor market and with chronic retention problems, does TSA continue to insist on hiring part-timers?
If you are short six part-time people, why not juggle things to hire three full-time people?
I suspect comparing costs between part-timers (constantly quitting) and full-timers who stand around sometimes will ultimately result in lower overall costs. Turnover is expensive.
Yeah, yeah, airports, challenges, flights. Airport businesses struggle with the same issues as TSA and somehow they are as good or better than TSA at managing their staffing requirements. At the entry level, folks are going to choose full-time employment at an airport vendor over a part-time 'seniority' system at TSA. It's the same choice I would make. And face it - somehow airport vendors have people on staff when things are slow - and they're still making a profit.
If that's an on-going problem at some airports (and I've been reading complaints about it going back at least a decade), then why, in a tightening labor market and with chronic retention problems, does TSA continue to insist on hiring part-timers?
If you are short six part-time people, why not juggle things to hire three full-time people?
I suspect comparing costs between part-timers (constantly quitting) and full-timers who stand around sometimes will ultimately result in lower overall costs. Turnover is expensive.
Yeah, yeah, airports, challenges, flights. Airport businesses struggle with the same issues as TSA and somehow they are as good or better than TSA at managing their staffing requirements. At the entry level, folks are going to choose full-time employment at an airport vendor over a part-time 'seniority' system at TSA. It's the same choice I would make. And face it - somehow airport vendors have people on staff when things are slow - and they're still making a profit.
Apr 30, 2019, 1:15 pm
#25
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I've read many times that many new hires do NOT want part-time jobs.
If that's an on-going problem at some airports (and I've been reading complaints about it going back at least a decade), then why, in a tightening labor market and with chronic retention problems, does TSA continue to insist on hiring part-timers?
If you are short six part-time people, why not juggle things to hire three full-time people?
I suspect comparing costs between part-timers (constantly quitting) and full-timers who stand around sometimes will ultimately result in lower overall costs. Turnover is expensive.
Yeah, yeah, airports, challenges, flights. Airport businesses struggle with the same issues as TSA and somehow they are as good or better than TSA at managing their staffing requirements. At the entry level, folks are going to choose full-time employment at an airport vendor over a part-time 'seniority' system at TSA. It's the same choice I would make. And face it - somehow airport vendors have people on staff when things are slow - and they're still making a profit.
If that's an on-going problem at some airports (and I've been reading complaints about it going back at least a decade), then why, in a tightening labor market and with chronic retention problems, does TSA continue to insist on hiring part-timers?
If you are short six part-time people, why not juggle things to hire three full-time people?
I suspect comparing costs between part-timers (constantly quitting) and full-timers who stand around sometimes will ultimately result in lower overall costs. Turnover is expensive.
Yeah, yeah, airports, challenges, flights. Airport businesses struggle with the same issues as TSA and somehow they are as good or better than TSA at managing their staffing requirements. At the entry level, folks are going to choose full-time employment at an airport vendor over a part-time 'seniority' system at TSA. It's the same choice I would make. And face it - somehow airport vendors have people on staff when things are slow - and they're still making a profit.
USA Jobs for TSO's
There is no way that Dallas would need part time screeners. Love Field and DFW are both very active airports with full schedules. TSA is just trying to cheap out on payroll. If it is a small airport efforts should be made to go to contract screeners.
May 12, 2019, 1:54 pm
#26
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I agree that hiring part time screeners seems like a poor move. I pulled the announcements for Dallas TX and there are 3 listings, 1 part time and 2 full time but they each seem like a group announcement instead of single person.
USA Jobs for TSO's
There is no way that Dallas would need part time screeners. Love Field and DFW are both very active airports with full schedules. TSA is just trying to cheap out on payroll. If it is a small airport efforts should be made to go to contract screeners.
USA Jobs for TSO's
There is no way that Dallas would need part time screeners. Love Field and DFW are both very active airports with full schedules. TSA is just trying to cheap out on payroll. If it is a small airport efforts should be made to go to contract screeners.
That is not necessarily true. TSA uses part time positions to help address ebb and flow times (especially at the larger airports). If the heaviest traffic passes through any given checkpoint from 1200-1600, then that airport can create a part time group to give additional staffing in those time frames.
May 12, 2019, 6:43 pm
#27
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(bolding mine)
That is not necessarily true. TSA uses part time positions to help address ebb and flow times (especially at the larger airports). If the heaviest traffic passes through any given checkpoint from 1200-1600, then that airport can create a part time group to give additional staffing in those time frames.
That is not necessarily true. TSA uses part time positions to help address ebb and flow times (especially at the larger airports). If the heaviest traffic passes through any given checkpoint from 1200-1600, then that airport can create a part time group to give additional staffing in those time frames.
May 13, 2019, 8:59 am
#28
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Just so we are clear, you are advocating for all employees at TSA to be full time?
May 13, 2019, 11:01 am
#29
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True, but then you wind up with what some of the folks here like to use to abuse the organization - folks standing around. Some locations have limited training equipment available at the airports. Some of the airports do not have a large cadre of Instructors or Assistant Instructors to conduct "TSA" training. You can also add to the tail end of that, the additional costs of making all of those part time employees full time employees thus adding additional hours. Some of the part time folks are not able to go to full time, for a number of reasons - some like to work from 0430-0930 because it fits their lives well, and assists the organization, others have other parts of their lives that keep them from going full time. Some of our folks work part time, simply because that is what they want. Part time slots are a tool the organization uses to augment staffing during rushes, while dropping the numbers back down during slower times.
Just so we are clear, you are advocating for all employees at TSA to be full time?
Just so we are clear, you are advocating for all employees at TSA to be full time?
For airports that are so small that there is literally only ONE lane, only ONE WTMD or WBI or carry-on bag x-ray, training can be accomplished during periods when the c/p is closed due to zero flights scheduled.
I don't advocate that the agency go to all full-time, but I do think that being a TSO has been touted by the agency as such an important position, a Thin Blue Line between freedom and anarchy, the last best hope to prevent another 9/11 three times a day, that perhaps the position of passenger screener SHOULD be full-time only. If it's so important, it should never be thought of as merely a "job", but only as a career path. No part-time, minimum-wage job that I know of can be thought of as a career. If you want a minimum-wage part-time job, check your local Walmart or Home Depot. Screening passengers at an airport should be a function performed only by motivated professionals, not bored retirees or folks looking to add a few bucks to their income with an easy part-time job.
Of course, we all know that such is not now, nor will it ever be, the actual state of affairs, as long as TSA is TSA.
May 15, 2019, 9:36 am
#30
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If Starbuck's is having a major retention problem and exit interviews reveal that the problem is that many (not all, just many) employees don't like part time, then Starbuck's will address that issue without pretending that it's a binary issue - every single employee has to be full-time or has to be part-time.
TSA's exit interviews wouldn't continue to cite part-time work if it wasn't a problem for a significant number of employees - or do folks think that TSOs routinely lie about why they're quitting?
Additionally, I don't think the issue is 100% part-time work. I suspect it's rotten schedules. There are certainly people who want to work part-time, but that doesn't mean they find ANY part-time schedule acceptable.
I would really like to see the real TSA data on this. My own organization found that it was much more cost effective to avoid part-time workers who constantly quit, because hiring and training costs are significant. It was much cheaper to limit part-time offers to people who were actively seeking a permanent part-time position. The payroll budget might be larger, but the hiring and training costs (and the productivity losses as new hires get fully up to speed) more than offset that and the net result was a more stable and productive (and happier) work force.
Last edited by chollie; May 15, 2019 at 9:46 am