By DEBORAH A. MILES Since 2008, the state workforce has lost 16,000 employees, or 11.6 percent. That has resulted in members working overtime and out-of-title, shortchanging taxpayers. PEF had asked members through its website, Active Informed Member (AIM) bulletins and Facebook how short staffing affects their ability to do their job. The last week in December, hundreds of responses poured in from people across the state and from every state agency. Short staffing, according to the bulk of the responses, is not only crippling state services, it is causing dangerous situations in many areas. Dozens of employees at the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities wrote in to say unmet consumer needs are mounting. “Our inability to fill positions as people retire has had a devastating effect on all aspects of service delivery,” said Randi DiAntonio, a social worker in the forensic services department. “We conduct risk assessments on individuals with significant behavioral and criminal histories. We used to have three full-time employees covering 10 counties, which was difficult. Now we are down to the equivalent of 1.35 full-time employees. During the past two years, individuals, including those with sex-offending behaviors, have been placed without risk- management planning and approval due to breakdowns in communication and not enough staff to keep up with the workload,” DiAntonio said. Paul Carpenter, a rehabilitation assistant at Broome Developmental Disabilities Services Office, added, “Low staffing in any facility that cares for our disabled should be considered neglect.” At Rockland Psychiatric Center, one registered nurse said the most challenging part of her job is being exposed to possible violence. “An attack can happen in an instant,” said Hilde Lezaron-Aitken. “You must be aware of your surroundings. Some patients pace the hallways. We have only two nurses here for 28 patients. The workload is heavy. A lot of times, I may be the only nurse here.” Working hard, feeling bad PEF received dozens of responses from nurses, much like the one sent in by Caroline Giovanniello, who works in the intensive care unit at Stonybrook University Medical Center. “On the night shift, we typically do not have a clerk to make calls to the pharmacy for missing medications, or to print out laboratory requisitions, to page a doctor or just provide support. We also don’t have nursing assistants to help with bed changes and other necessary duties. This all takes away from patient care. We often feel rushed to get tasks done and feel as though we are not providing the patients and their families with the attention they deserve. The salt in the wound is when you leave with that feeling, despite all your best efforts, because of being understaffed.” Greg Phillips, a recreation program leader at Downstate Correctional Facility, said he used to have five full-time counterparts, a full-time supervisor and some part-time employees. “That was a proper staffing pattern, as Downstate is divided into four separate complexes, each having its own gymnasium and recreation yard. I am currently the only recreation program leader remaining to safely manage and provide programs for all the inmates in all the areas. It’s just a matter of time before someone gets hurt,” Phillips said. More crime in the streets For years, parole officers have pointed out their caseloads have almost doubled, and they must spend too much time doing paperwork. That situation isn’t getting any better. “As a result of a staffing shortage, I have been tasked with a larger case load as a state parole officer,” said Eric Jones. “I am required to spend more time in the office addressing administrative needs, than in the community. As a consequence, violent parolees are not being monitored as effectively as they should be. It is impossible to address public safety with an increased caseload. Consequently, I work additional hours without compensation because my agency refuses to pay overtime.” Parole officer Michael Hobb added, “Many of the people I supervise have committed unimaginable crimes against women and children. How would legislators feel if their wives, sisters or children were the victims of a sexual crime? Then ask them how they would feel knowing parole supervision in the community isn’t taken as seriously as it should be.” Public safety suffers The lack of staff affects safety on the streets in more ways than one. A deluge of responses came from members who work at the state Department of Transportation (DOT). Just as nurses are concerned about doing their jobs right, some DOT employees are feeling a similar pressure. Many said short staffing has affected their jobs and public safety. A few said being understaffed with an unrealistic project schedule equals low quality work. Richard Gorton, a structural engineer at DOT, said, “I am not given the time I need to check engineering designs. That could jeopardize public safety. As a supervisor, I’m required to stamp engineering plans for less senior engineers even though they have a professional engineering license. That’s because the state will not give promotions to these individuals, which many of them deserve.” PEF President Ken Brynien said the responses ranged from people working at the state Office of Mental Health, who said both staff and patients are at risk due to short staffing, to those at the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement who are buried in cases revolving around the prescription drug epidemic in New York and in the country. “Short staffing is bringing New York down to a level where it will not be able to function at all,” Brynien said. “The state talks about creating jobs. It should fill the jobs we all desperately need."s

The Communicator Letters policy We welcome letters to the editor about union issues and events relevant to PEF's diverse membership. All letters are subject to editing for space, fairness and good taste. Please keep them brief (up to one page, double-spaced or a maximum of 250 words), and please include your name and phone number for verification. Send letters to thecommunicator@pef.org: The Communicator Public Employees Federation P.O. Box 12414 Albany, N.Y. 12212-2414 Email to Sherry Halbrook, Editor or Darcy Wells, Editor-In Chief