- Okay, so I should probably mention that I am 17 and working as a Lifeguard at my community's pool. I try my best to enforce the rules, but I'm the only lifeguard there. It's an "L" shaped pool which requires 3 lifeguards on duty, but 2 is acceptable at minimum. The most amount of people a lifeguard should watch over is 25,but I'm watching over 40 kids and their parents don't pay attention at all. I am often mistaken as the "babysitter" at the pool, but then again most lifeguards are. There is no umbrella so I work for 8 hours in the sun with one measly 20 minute break.
All I want to do is make sure everyone is safe, but at an L shaped pool and working alone in these conditions, it's difficult... I even asked for advice from my lifeguard instructor, (whom I learned everything I know), and she told me if they aren't willing to change conditions I should leave. The thing is theres blind spots everywhere, and struggling swimmers are hard to point out since I have a lot of fakers, (that cry for help or pretend they are struggling in the water, and when I ask, "are you okay?!" they nod, giggle and swim off). So, I am generally concerned that someone is going to drown on my watch because of the amount of children and adults I need to watch is nearly double what I am supposed to supervise...
I tried to explain to my employer that lifeguards need to rotate every hour to stay clear-headed and focus on the job, and how dangerous it is to only have one lifeguard on duty while there are so many swimmers about, so I said they either need to hire another lifeguard (additional), or at least close the deep end of the pool for me to be able to supervise everyone with no blind spots, (as my instructor told me to say), but they said they refuse to make any changes.
I was warned by my instructor that if they refused then I need to walk away because if someone is injured, or (god forbid), they drown, then I am 100% liable and can be sued, (even my family), for everything we own. But even after all of this, I still really need a job, and where I live, it is hard enough to find a job; especially as a lifeguard...
So I need to ask, should I keep the job, or should I finish this week and get the hell outta there?
(btw: very sorry this is so long, I just need advice)
All I want to do is make sure everyone is safe, but at an L shaped pool and working alone in these conditions, it's difficult... I even asked for advice from my lifeguard instructor, (whom I learned everything I know), and she told me if they aren't willing to change conditions I should leave. The thing is theres blind spots everywhere, and struggling swimmers are hard to point out since I have a lot of fakers, (that cry for help or pretend they are struggling in the water, and when I ask, "are you okay?!" they nod, giggle and swim off). So, I am generally concerned that someone is going to drown on my watch because of the amount of children and adults I need to watch is nearly double what I am supposed to supervise...
I tried to explain to my employer that lifeguards need to rotate every hour to stay clear-headed and focus on the job, and how dangerous it is to only have one lifeguard on duty while there are so many swimmers about, so I said they either need to hire another lifeguard (additional), or at least close the deep end of the pool for me to be able to supervise everyone with no blind spots, (as my instructor told me to say), but they said they refuse to make any changes.
I was warned by my instructor that if they refused then I need to walk away because if someone is injured, or (god forbid), they drown, then I am 100% liable and can be sued, (even my family), for everything we own. But even after all of this, I still really need a job, and where I live, it is hard enough to find a job; especially as a lifeguard...
So I need to ask, should I keep the job, or should I finish this week and get the hell outta there?
(btw: very sorry this is so long, I just need advice)
