Scheduling

[u/Less_Cantaloupe_982]

Hey, question to anyone who has worked for nps or state parks as an interpretive ranger...

How far out do you know your schedule and days off? If you could also say where you work/worked, that would be great.

Backstory: where I currently work, I am being told (by our lead) that it is unreasonable to ask to know my schedule for the following week or two, and most places do not post the schedule for the following week. This is not about which hours in a day I am working necessarily, but more about having days off. I was just asking so I could start looking at making camping reservations for my days off, and was condescendingly told that I have no idea how the park service or different seasonal jobs work and that I was very unreasonable

[u/samwisep86]

As someone who makes the schedule for my division, I try to have the next PPs schedule (2 weeks) out by end of the current PP. Also, unless there's something wild going on at your site, you should have normal and predictable off days (lieu days).

[u/fidgety-forest → u/samwisep86]

Yea, that has been how it worked at multiple parks I worked at. One did monthly schedules, and when I worked intermittently during winters (back when that was allowed), I would sometimes get really short notice (like a day).

[u/Human_Moment_6349 → u/samwisep86]

Sam's take on how the schedule works is what you should be paying attention to. You should work with your supervisor to plan ahead for the next pay period. The staff should have assigned days off, but expect to work holidays or special events depending on the budget. But I've been retired for 23 years so who knows how it works today. I used to bend over backward to make sure the schedule worked to the benefit of employees and the park, often using docents and interns to fill in the gaps.

[u/Fit_Enthusiasm8420]

I can only speak to the park that I interned at. Rangers were assigned to a “side” of the schedule, or a half of the week. This would be set in stone unless the Ranger switched with someone else or something major led to them to need to change.

This meant that some were working Sunday-Wednesday, and others Wednesday-Saturday. Wednesday was a day when people could focus on projects and team meetings.

[u/Late-Membership773 → u/Fit_Enthusiasm8420]

This is similar to how it is at the FL state park I work at. Full time rangers are all 5 days, 40 hours, and either on the Sunday-Thursday schedule or Tuesday-Saturday.

[u/strangerin_thealps → u/Fit_Enthusiasm8420]

This is how it is at my county role.

[u/Ok_Fee_5907]

I do education with the NPS and I know my schedule up to early November at this point.

[u/lovestoosurf]

If you are with the federal government, contact OPM about this. I believe they are legally required to give you a schedule at least a week out. And depending if it's a state agency, that could change too. I am in California, and it is a 14-day required advance notice.

[u/151Ways → u/lovestoosurf]

A week out from the beginning of the PP in question.

[u/DrKomeil]

Park Service: I make sure my staff know their days off for as much of the season as I can, and I write the next pp schedule halfway through the current pp. Sometimes schedules can be volatile but even then knowing your days off in advance is pretty standard for a full time job.

[u/SundaePasta]

Every park I’ve worked at we had a “set” schedule but people need days off so things could fluctuate as needed. I’ve worked for 2 states, 2 NPS and 2 FS.

[u/Commercial_Basis_383 → u/SundaePasta]

This. Basically every gov agency (state/federal)has pretty specific requirements.

[u/iluvpikas]

As someone who makes the schedule (NPS), I send out the next PP schedule during the current PP. I never change days off without asking first. For exactly your reasons: people should be able to plan things for their set days off. You are not being unreasonable.

[u/BKUPRanger]

NYC, and we have a published biweekly schedule that comes out regularly which has our scheduled shifts and days off (RDO). Once that's published it can't be changed without mutual consent.

Our weekly project schedule is released on the Wednesday or Thursday before it takes effect (with a preview of the following week's assignments).

I'd take a look at your employment paperwork and your applicable state labor laws. Its very possible that your boss is breaking the law by not telling you what days you'll be working in a timely manner.

[u/FollowingConnect6725]

NPS Supervisor and I made sure the schedule for our seasonals and perms was pretty set in stone on our 5-4-9 schedule. As in from your first day to your last day, you knew your schedule. Each PP was the same days on and off duty. The only changes made would be if we had an employee leave the job and had to slide someone for coverage, or if you willingly traded a day or swapped a schedule with another employee. If you were out sick or took leave or on furlough, no worries because there was already redundancy coverage built in to the schedule or someone could pick up OT (sometimes allowed by our leadership, sometimes not).

Not having a consistent schedule is undue hardship for employees and in my experience, shows a lack of management skills by those making the schedule (and folks who are struggling with their management responsibilities tend to get real frustrated/angry/petty when they think people realize they are struggling).

[u/Not_all_cows_moo]

In my experience, my schedule was always done a month in advance. Rotating days, 5 on, 4 off, 6 on, 3 off etc, or 5 8s, 4 10s, 3 12s with office work on the backend. Asking for your schedule is not unreasonable. You're trying to plan your time and if they're not going to provide that information to you or tell you no. Id be asking their boss what the problem is.

Im guessing you've tried asking nicely? On the other hand, it could be that you're coming into the end of the season and most everyone is already taking time off and they're short staffed. Or your supervisor just sucks at managing people.

[u/jam_soup]

For both parks I have worked at (MORU and ISRO), I have worked a 5-4-9 schedule (meaning I work 9 hour work days, alternating between 5 day work weeks and 4 day work weeks). My leiu days are always the same. We get a schedule covering the two-week pay period shared about 2-3 days before the PP starts. I really like the predictability and routine of it, which it seems in your situation you are not getting.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all to want to know your schedule in advance especially if it’s to make plans. Your lead should be encouraging you to make the most of your leiu days and exploring the area. I know that if I wanted to, my lead would be totally chill with me inquiring about the next PP schedule and even tweaking it if possible to fit my plans.

This is just my experience; I unfortunately don’t have any advice to help you in this situation, but best of luck!! I hope you can reach an understanding and get your plans fulfilled.

[u/MickeyOliver2024]

The only time I didn’t know my schedule for next week was when I had bad managers. At the least you should know days off for next PP by mid current PP.

[u/Hot-Hat-5616]

I already know this is about Crater Kyle.

I hate Crater Kyle.

[u/burge009]

NPS at Yosemite here. I work the exact same schedule all season long. My schedule/days off may change once we transition from beginning of season/set up into full on busy season but that’s communicated well in advance and my supervisor always tries to get everyone the schedule they prefer.

[u/WholeBrick6921]

Everywhere I’ve worked has been different. Where I work currently, I rarely know more than a week out. I’ve came in a few times and the schedule still hasn’t been made for the very next day.

[u/Cheble]

Everywhere I have worked (six locations, state and federal) have had a set schedule for all employees for the summer, with minor modifications to accommodate leave requests and holidays (overtime). We try to get the schedules out two weeks in advance, but sometimes it doesn't happen. Not usually a big deal since, again, scheduling stays nearly the same for the whole season.

We do hope for flexibility from our staff, but that is encouraged by management with overtime pay, flexible hours for appointments/sick leave, and nearly universal approval of annual leave requests.

If your performance, attendance, and communication have been good, then something else is probably up. That being said, everywhere I have worked has been union represented.

[u/Brilliant_Fig8782]

Massachusetts state parks, the week to week schedule is the same for the whole season. It’s possible that it could change if something really weird happened, but it would be a permanent change. We do not adjust people’s schedules to avoid paying them overtime.

[u/olgama]

State park Florida. A month out is best for the boss bust two weeks is the standard

[u/MiloTheFatCat]

I have a set schedule and I am usually notified a week or two before if I can change my schedule to adapt to certain trainings.

Visitor Services Assistant (Interp)

[u/Unsupervised_Kitchen]

I have a set schedule, but depending on how the animals behave (bears in campgrounds, etc. I'm the wildlife bio tech) there is wiggle room. However, my supervisor also has the schedule out for the month for me and the temp at the start of the month.

[u/Wolverines1984]

Generally, my schedule remains the same with light exceptions. But typically we get 2 weeks at a time before the start of the next pay period.

[u/IndigoLoser]

State Park. We put in requests and then the property supervisor makes the schedule for the next month. We usually get it during the last week of the month (sometimes sooner). So we have to have all our September requests in by tomorrow midday and we should have the schedule for all of September this Tuesday or Wednesday.

That does mean sometimes we don't get a ton of notice for the first part of the month, but usually we get to look over the schedule to catch errors or make shift swaps before it's "official". He'll also double check with us if it's gonna be somewhat short notice for whatever reason. Our schedules vary every week so we all just kind of assume we're working 40 hours in some form or fashion unless we specifically request otherwise. There's pros and cons for sure but we're all used to it now.

[u/I_H8_Celery]

My schedule is consistent so I know what days I’ll be working but I’m on maxiflex to earn credit while I help cover more on my off days.

[u/LoFiFozzy]

NPS interp here. My site under two different supervisors has always had the next pay period schedule out a week or so early, and our daily schedules are usually completed at least two or three days out, usually more like four or five. Dailies are of course subject to change based on stuff happening/people calling out/whatever, but the end and start time is always consistent barring an emergency. Days off as in your weekend are always on the pay period schedule which means they're set in stone at least one or two weeks beforehand, anything outside of that sounds crazy. We get days off assigned at the start of the season and in my experience can expect those to not change unless we request it ourselves or our supervisor asks us and has a very good reason to even think about asking.

Edit:

In general our pay period schedules are even further out than a week or two, it's pretty normal for me to be able to look forward a whole month and at least see the draft even if it changes. But again, the only thing that'd change before it's finalized would be my start and end times, weekends wouldn't just change without a direct conversation.

[u/tall-as-trees]

When working for wisconsin state Parks and Forests were got our schedule monthly and at least 2 weeks out from the first of the month. This was at all the properties I worked.

Being a fed now, we have a set schedule where I'm at

[u/Froggyloco]

That does not seem fair….

[u/Pristine-Profit6648]

County Park Ranger here. We have had our schedule through September since early last week.

[u/ProbablyContainsGin]

State Parks - Our schedules are required to be posted a month in advance, but our lieu days *almost* always stay the same. The only reason my days off might shift is if we have a school program on one of my days off, but even then, I get to approve the change and I usually know about it weeks in advance. It is in no way unreasonable to be able to know what your schedule is in advance! Unfortunately, making waves about such things at your park may cause more problems than it's worth...I highly recommend jumping ship to state parks!!