Swimming supervision Bonn public outdoor pools lacking personnel
Bonn · We have a hot weekend coming up and in order to open all six outdoor pools in Bonn, the city will have to juggle around the existing staff. Finding new employees is becoming increasingly difficult.
It’s considered peak season for the six outdoors swimming pools in Bonn when temperatures climb above 25 degrees Celsius. In order for all of them to open, the city needs a sufficient number of staff scheduled as flexibly as possible. Come Wednesday, some personnel from the Rüngsdorf Panorama pool will be temporarily relocated to the Römerbad (outdoor pool) in the north of Bonn. But it’s getting harder and harder to find pool supervisors and lifeguards to fill these positions. The job is considered challenging, but for many it is also a calling. “It has nothing to do with Baywatch and girls,” says Peter Harzheim, President of the Federal Association of German Swimming Pool Supervisors.
When there are up to 6,000 guests at the Römerbad during peak hours, 15 employees are needed just for the late shift. They take care of the technical aspects, work as lifeguards and act as cashiers. “Our staff, even permanent employees, but especially the temporary help, must be flexible,” says Isabel Kotz from the Bonn city press office. They are deployed to all of the different swimming facilities. It could mean: today the Römerbad, tomorrow the Melbbad (outdoor pool) and the day after that, the pool in Rüngsdorf. Klotz says this happens especially when they see that one pool has more staff than necessary and another pool is short on staff. The employees are mostly swimming pool supervisors and pool operations specialists, but also temporary workers such as lifeguards and cashiers.
Hardly any university students as temporary workers
At the moment, there are about 125 temporary helpers working at the outdoor pools. “But it’s getting harder and harder to find staff,” explains Peter Harzheim. Temporary help at the outdoor pools used to be a typical student job. But the semester break is not necessarily just free time anymore which can be used for jobbing. He explains that there are also stringent qualifications for the lifeguards and they must be over 18-years-old, having also completed a first aid course. A certificate of good conduct from Bonn police is also required.
Harzheim believes the shortage of workers for the pool jobs has to do with the poor reputation of the job. "You have to work when others have free time." On the other hand, the profession is versatile: "As a swimming pool supervisor, you are a chemist, technician, biologist, cashier, comforter and rescuer. One experiences an unbelievable amount.” Those who are compensated according to tariffs in the public service, can consider themselves lucky - private enterprises would have much lower wages of 1500 to 1800 euros gross.
(Orig. text: Nicolas Ottersbach / Translation: ck)
