Balancing Life and the Mission: Compressed Scheduling in Law Enforcement

Compressed scheduling offers advantages to a law enforcement agency. When using a compressed scheduling model the agents, their families, and the environment all benefit. This type of robust scheduling allows full-time employees to complete their work week in fewer days. Agents who report to work fewer days per week have more time for personal events, family events, and respite. A compressed schedule increases morale and recruitment while decreasing attrition. The conventional scheduling system in use today negatively impacts the mission and agency personnel through its adverse and unintended effects. Over the past few decades, compressed scheduling has been widely implemented by many state and municipal law enforcement departments throughout the country. The use of this scheduling model eliminates the deleterious effects of conventional scheduling for the agency, the agents, and the environment. It is time for strategic leadership in federal law enforcement to create equilibrium between the agents vital needs and the mission of securing the United States of America. Implementation of a compressed work schedule for border patrol officers in the United States Border Patrol is clearly a sound strategic decision.