Jan. 21—ALDERMEN HAVE approved a request from the city’s police chief to replace his department’s “Perfect Attendance Day” — where employees earn a vacation day for not using any sick time for a calendar year — with a new incentive: “Enhanced Physical Fitness Day.”
Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg requested the change to the Employee Incentives Day Policy currently in effect at the Manchester Police Department.
Under the current policy, the police chief can award MPD employees “Incentive Days” in four categories.
—Recruitment incentive: A day off may be given to an employee who recruits a full-time certified police officer hired by MPD;
—Employee merit: A day off may be given to an employee nominated for work above and beyond their normal call of duty;
—Perfect attendance incentive: A day off may be given to any employee who doesn’t use any sick time, including Family and Medical Leave, for the whole calendar year;
—Dispatch training incentive: A day off may be given to dispatchers who volunteer to take on the added responsibility of training a new dispatcher hired by MPD.
Each of these incentive days, if and when awarded, must be used as a day off, cannot be cashed out and cannot create overtime, according to MPD policies.
In a memo to aldermen, Aldenberg explained why he wanted to replace the “Perfect Attendance Day” category with an “Enhanced Physical Fitness Day.”
“As a department, we are working together in order to improve the mental health and wellness of our employees,” the chief wrote in the memo.
“The reality is that law enforcement personnel are under constant, daily stress and seldom take the time to recognize, acknowledge or treat the effects of this distress. The failure in the law enforcement community to effectively acknowledge and seek assistance can be attributed directly to fears that members will be (and have been) viewed as weak and/or unable to handle a legitimately difficult job,” Aldenberg wrote.
“The constant exposure to critical incidents, the personal stress inevitably experienced in our personnel’s lives, our communities’ expectations of police performance, and an inability to effectively recognize and acknowledge the need to better care for mental health and wellbeing, often creates a ‘perfect storm’ for law enforcement personnel,” Aldenberg wrote.
City Human Resources Director Lisa Drabik supports the request. In a memo to aldermen, Drabik wrote that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no longer feasible or advisable for the police department — via this policy or otherwise — to “encourage employees to seek ‘Perfect Attendance’ by coming to work when they are sick, regardless of the illness.”
“In proposing to eliminate the ‘Perfect Attendance’ category for Incentive Days, the chief would instead like to incentivize the physical fitness of MPD employees, as the ability of sworn officers and civilian personnel to consistently perform critical and essential job functions — to ensure the safety of the public — is at the core of policing,” Drabik wrote.
“There is, of course, a direct positive correlation between increasing one’s own physical fitness and improving one’s own mental health and wellness,” Drabik wrote.
“Prioritizing the physical fitness as well as mental health and wellness of MPD employees will result in employees who are healthier, happier, safer, and better able to efficiently, effectively and reliably ensure the wellness & safety of not only themselves but also their peers and the city’s residents, businesses and visitors.”
Drabik said 41 MPD employees were awarded a Perfect Attendance Day in 2020, and 38 in 2021.
In 2009, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and The Bureau of Justice Assistance released the “Reducing Officer Injuries Final Report.” The study found a critical link between officer weight, fitness and risk of injury on the job.
It found that eight officers who had reported healthy weights missed less than half as many days of work after an injury as those who were overweight and less than a quarter as many days as those who were obese.
In a memo, Aldenberg laid out the proposed standards for MPD employees to earn an “Enhanced Physical Fitness” Incentive Day.
An employee’s participation in attempting to earn one of these days would be strictly voluntary. To earn an Enhanced Physical Fitness Incentive Day, sworn employees would have to pass the Cooper Standards for Physical Fitness Performance Test at the 65th percentile in their age group.
That means males 20-29 would have to do at least 44 sit-ups in a minute and 39 pushups in a minute and would have to run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes, 9 seconds or less.
For males 30-39, the numbers would be 40 sit-ups, 31 pushups and 11:34 for 1.5 miles. Those in the 40-49 age group would need 35 sit-ups and 25 push-ups and 11:58 for the run.
Males 50-59 would have to do 30 sit-ups and 20 push-ups and complete the run in 13:25. Those 60 and over would need 24 sit-ups, 20 pushups and a time of 14:55.
Females 20-29 would have to do at least 37 sit-ups and 23 pushups and run 1.5 miles in 13:01 or or less.
For females 30-39, the numbers would be 39 sit-ups, 17 pushups and 13:58 for 1.5 miles. Those in the 40-49 age group would need 30 sit-ups and 13 push-ups and 15:03 for the run.
Females 50-59 would have to do 25 sit-ups and complete the 1.5 miles in 16:46. Those 60 and over would need 21 sit-ups and a time of 18:39.
Paul Feely is the City Hall reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Reach him at pfeely@unionleader.com
