Equal Opportunity Overtime

If there is one thing “equal ops” is good for, it’s generating grievances.

It seems every time a new staffing supervisor takes over equal ops errors are rampant for weeks. There is good reason for this. While equal ops are fairly simple once you understand the process it can be hard to wrap your head around initially.

Part of the reason is the less than obvious language in the collective agreement;

15.06 Definition of Equal Opportunity in Groups 1 and 2

Equal opportunity for overtime shall mean that once an appropriate list is established, overtime assignments will be offered to persons on the applicable list who have had a fewer number of overtime opportunities until sufficient employees have been obtained to fulfill the requirements. When there is more than one employee who had a fewer number of overtime opportunities (as mentioned above), overtime assignments will be offered to such employees in the descending order of the appropriate list. Equal opportunity entails no obligation on the part of the Corporation for equal distribution of overtime hours worked.

So what is that suppose to mean?

Basically, the employer keeps a list of all employees, or several lists for different groups, list for part time and full time for example.

In a very small imaginary depot a list could look like this;

The list is in order of seniority.

Let’s say on the first day overtime is available there are three portions of work available. Anna and Bart each takes one, Charles declines the opportunity, Deborah is on annual leave and Eddie takes the last portion. The list would now look like this;

The list now starts below the dark line with Friedda the next day since everyone above her who was eligible has had an ‘opportunity’. Note that Deborah was not eligible as she was on annual leave but she is still charged an opportunity as the list has moved past her.

In this consistent imaginary depot, the next day also has three overtime opportunities available.

The staffing supervisor should first offer the overtime to Friedda as she is now the top person with the fewest offers (opportunities) for overtime. If it starts anywhere else there is a grievance for denial of opportunity.

This time, Friedda, Anna and Bart all accept.

When work is offered out and Anna gets first choice of assignment. The Equal ops list decides who gets the overtime but choice of what that overtime is still goes by seniority! This is the most common grievance. If this is not done we should be grieving for denying of choice of assignment.

There’s one more thing to watch for. It happens again! Three portions available. Deborah is still on annual leave and Charles, Eddie and Friedda all accept. The list now looks like this;

Charles picks his assignment. Eddie selects his. Friedda is now not thrilled with the one portion available and changes her mind, declining the opportunity. Anna accepts and the list looks like this;

Here’s the problem. Now Anna is the person with the highest seniority. She gets first pick.

The staffing supervisor now has to rebid assignments starting with her. They often don’t and in this case Anna would have a grievance for denying her choice of assignment.

In summary, it comes down to one statement that’s hopefully now easy to understand: Overtime opportunities are given out as per the equal opportunity list but choice of assignment is selected by seniority.

Simple!