Photo Credit: Gwinnett Co. Parks & Recreation
In 1998, Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation (GCPR) in Georgia operated one year-round, Olympic-size pool that was housed under a bubble in the winter and four seasonal pools. By 2008, GCPR was operating nine facilities with two indoor leisure pools, four indoor competition pools, and three indoor instructional pools, seven outdoor leisure pools, and one outdoor Z-shaped pool—the only original pool remaining. With the rapid growth of aquatic facilities in the department, it was quickly apparent that recruiting, training, and retention were to become an integral part of operations for both full-time and part-time staff members.
In aquatics, staffing levels can change in the blink of an eye. On any given day, one can expect a phone call from any one of the pool supervisors to report at least five resignations of lifeguards. One moment later, three to five applications are received online. The next day may result in the loss of a lifeguard for poor performance and possibly a new application from someone who isn’t certified. Additionally, aquatic managers are faced with many labor challenges, including government regulations, such as child labor laws, budget constraints, recessions, hiring freezes, healthcare reform, and Fair Labor Standards Act updates. Due to child-labor regulations, GCPR now only employs lifeguards 16 years and older.
There are still more challenges when employing young teens. Year-round, the department is faced with juggling schedules to accommodate extracurricular activities, school schedules, lifeguards who don’t show up for work, or those who only want to work one shift a week. Ensuring sufficient coverage to safely open facilities seven days a week, almost 352 days a year, is a challenge. Balancing the workload and long operating hours at aquatic facilities is no easy feat.