Transportation Security Administration officers who check passengers’ documents can no longer sit down on the job.
The agency announced this week that it is removing chairs at this position in airports throughout the country, requiring staff members to stand for their shift. In a statement, TSA explained the reason as twofold: to ensure its employees meet its fitness standards and to create an amiable environment for travelers.
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency stated. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
In a Facebook post, the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, the union that represents the officers, expressed concern over the agency’s “consequential decision.” The ergonomic chairs, the union argued, provide safety and support for officers who stand and walk on hard surfaces for extended periods.
“TSA is treating this matter like it is a privilege,” the union said in its statement. “It is not; it is basic safety and common decency for the workforce.”
Kathryn Sawyer, a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and assistant professor at Tufts University, said swapping sitting for standing can still be hard on the body, causing strain on feet, ankles and knees. Instead, she recommends an arrangement that allows the officers to frequently change positions.
“Going from one static position to another static position is truly not the best choice they could have made,” Sawyer said.
During the late-afternoon rush at Reagan National Airport, all seven TSA officers processing IDs at the North Security Checkpoint were standing, with no chairs in sight.
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