The sun is shining warmly from the blue sky - summer 2021 finally deserves its name.
People are drawn to the outdoor pools.
Bathroom manager Michael Spring is happy that something is finally going on.
He loves his job - but unfortunately there are fewer and fewer of his kind.
The consequences can already be felt in many bathrooms.
District
- "We spend our entire summer here, sometimes we have a six- or seven-day week." This is what Michael Spring relates while he and his colleague David Vuvor watch over the bathers at the edge of the pool.
Spring definitely doesn't want to miss his job.
And to compensate for all the work in summer, after the season, in winter, he can go abroad for a month or two.
The swimming master decided on his profession 33 years ago, and Spring has been active in Maisach for two and a half years.
“The variety is great.
You work in the open air, deal with people, but at the same time you have to check the technology, such as the water treatment, filters and pumps. "
Nevertheless: In the Maisach open-air swimming pool, the opening times had to be shortened due to a shortage of skilled workers.
"We are closed on Mondays this season," says swimming pool manager Michael Spring.
As the responsible municipal administration explains, only two of the three full-time employees required are currently available.
“The development was a bit foreseeable.
The job of a pool attendant, especially in outdoor pools, is associated with difficult working hours, ”reports town hall employee Christine Lindenmüller.
Especially when you have a family, the situation is not so easy for a lifeguard.
Vacation during the summer vacation is often not possible - and work must also be carried out on the weekend.
Just at the start of these summer holidays, Stadtwerke Fürstenfeldbruck had to announce very unwelcome news.
The outdoor pool they operate in the Amperoase Fürstenfeldbruck is also open for a shorter time than usual.
Instead of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., bathers can initially only refresh themselves in the cool water from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Due to a lack of staff, the pool is currently only running in one-shift operation.
Around two weeks later, according to Stadwerke spokeswoman Monika Lidmila, no improvement is in sight.
"We haven't found any new employees so far." In addition to specialist employees for swimming pools, the Amperoase also lacks lifeguards.
Unconventional solutions are now being worked on. "For the future, we are striving to cooperate with the water rescue service," says Monika Lidmila.
The outdoor pool in Mammendorf has been understaffed for years.
Out of four positions for specialist employees for swimming pools, only two have been assigned.
"We make up for the deficit by working overtime, which can only be reduced again in the winter half-year," says Walther Krautloher.
He is head of department for schools, sport and culture at the district office.
The authority is responsible for the district's own pool and leisure area.
One can only speculate about the background to the shortage of staff, said Walther Krautloher.
Paying in the public service may not be so attractive.
"After all, we managed to keep the normal opening times this season despite a shortage of employees."
Only in Germering is one far removed from a staff shortage.
"We have trained well over the past few years," says Edeltraud Felser, who is responsible for public relations at the outdoor pool on Bertha-von-Stuttner-Strasse.
Operations there run as normal, like last year - with a hygiene concept, admission control and, at the moment, lots of sunshine.
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