Supporting Technician Wellbeing

There is no doubt that technicians in the field face all kinds of stressful situations in their day-to-day jobs, whether battling exhaustion, heat illness or any other number of risks. One of the most common issues technicians face is fatigue. Fatigue is the feeling of low energy and exhaustion that interferes with normal daily activities.

The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that 42% of those in strenuous jobs cited long shifts and 48% reported sleep loss as risk factors of fatigue. Additionally, the NSC estimates that fatigue costs employers $136 billion a year in health-related lost productivity. In recognition of June being National Safety Month, we dedicate this edition to sharing some insights on how technicians and their employers can support mental and physical wellbeing.

The average US worker deals with at least two of the criteria for identifying fatigue (below); however, it’s common for technicians to experience five or more factors.

Knowing the risks and signs of fatigue is important. It is also important to be aware of ways to deal with fatigue:At City, we work to educate our team members on fatigue and other ailments that may come with the job by offering various hands-on and online resources to our field technicians. Alongside frequent safety training, our in-house Help Desk team is trained to provide support for our technicians 24/7/365. On top of a monthly internal newsletter highlighting the resources available, Help Desk Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) aid technicians in accepting jobs while they’re on the road or in a potentially dangerous situation so that they can remain safe. “If a technician needs help accepting a job while driving, we’ll go ahead and accept the job for them because we have that ability,” says Help Desk Trainer, Tamara Smith “This keeps them from having to pull over to the side of the road just to accept the job. We’ll take those extra steps to keep them out of harms away and on task.”  

[Team member safety] is something that City cares about and we’re here 24/7 for them.Charlie Breitenbach, District Director

Breitenbach knows this firsthand after one of his team members reached out to him directly after experiencing fatigue on the road. The technician had pulled over to the side of the road and was falling asleep, unable to drive any further safely. Breitenbach was able to reach out to our Business Support Unit (BSU) team, despite it being the middle of the night, and arrange a local hotel room as well as an Uber to transport the technician to safety. Our team member was then able to get some rest and safely return to work the next day. This story is only one example of how far we are willing to go to protect and care for our team members. 

Throughout National Safety Month, we are also sharing a series of weekly communications with our team members covering topics from driving safety, emergency preparedness and more. City also provides a series of wellbeing benefits for our team members including 28 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) and Sanvello, a top-rated self-help app, Talkspace, quick and convenient online therapy, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for those on any one of our extensive medical plans.  

If you are looking to join an organization with a One Team Together culture where the care and protection of all team members is the top priority, City is the place for you! Visit www.work4city.com to learn more about our openings and offerings.