Narrative:

[On this] shift my center area was 4 controllers under our staffing numbers. This included using 2 trainees to work and not train; so really the area was 6 understaffed. Also; no supervisor on the shift. Today being a holiday insufficient staffing and no supervision was the start. When I came in to work I noticed staffing levels were at an unsafe number; and I knew how busy traffic would be. I knew this from my many years experience working evening shifts and the fact there was a restriction in for one of our airports. This meant this area would get busy. I had to have the controller in charge (controller in charge) alert the operations manager that our area needed in trail restrictions to help ensure safety. The operations manager response was I can't put that down for staffing. What do I care what you have to put down in your log book!!! The area needed the help not inappropriate responses. I went back in to the area to get some information I needed and immediately was told to go tell the operations manager the restricted airport in trail spacing is not working. There was no controller in charge at the time. After returning I got someone up to be controller in charge and every sector in the area went crazy. All sectors were split and every sector needed a handoff position at that time for either volume or complexity. Airplanes were spun in multiple sectors. This was a very unnecessary and dangerous way to run a safety first business. This situation is a far too familiar situation in this area and all of the center. This needs to be addressed and fixed before something bad happens.we need to have mutually agreed upon staffing in the area. We need to have a supervisor on the shift and have traffic management unit and the operations manager properly protect an understaffed area with appropriate in trail restrictions. The [early] shift should have taken the appropriate actions not wait to look at if the busiest area in the center is ok and why did it take the area to alert the operations manager of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Center Controller reported the Area was not staffed according to directives and had insufficient oversight by Traffic Management.

Narrative: [On this] shift my Center Area was 4 controllers under our staffing numbers. This included using 2 trainees to work and not train; so really the area was 6 understaffed. Also; no supervisor on the shift. Today being a holiday insufficient staffing and no supervision was the start. When I came in to work I noticed staffing levels were at an unsafe number; and I knew how busy traffic would be. I knew this from my many years experience working evening shifts and the fact there was a restriction in for one of our airports. This meant this Area would get busy. I had to have the Controller in Charge (CIC) alert the Operations Manager that our Area needed in trail restrictions to help ensure safety. The Operations Manager response was I can't put that down for staffing. What do I care what you have to put down in your log book!!! The area needed the help not inappropriate responses. I went back in to the area to get some information I needed and immediately was told to go tell the Operations Manager the restricted airport in trail spacing is not working. There was no Controller in Charge at the time. After returning I got someone up to be CIC and every sector in the Area went crazy. All sectors were split and every sector needed a Handoff position at that time for either volume or complexity. Airplanes were spun in multiple sectors. This was a very unnecessary and dangerous way to run a safety first business. This situation is a far too familiar situation in this Area and all of the Center. This needs to be addressed and fixed before something bad happens.We need to have mutually agreed upon staffing in the area. We need to have a supervisor on the shift and have Traffic Management Unit and the Operations Manager properly protect an understaffed area with appropriate in trail restrictions. The [early] shift should have taken the appropriate actions not wait to look at if the busiest area in the Center is ok and why did it take the area to alert the Operations Manager of the situation.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.