US: Short-staffed TSA asks its office workers to help out at checkpoints this summer

The TSA has asked some of its office workers to help security officers with a surge of summer travel at the nation's airports, a TSA official said Thursday. The ask, including to local administrative offices, comes in addition to a campaign aiming to hire 6,000 workers. The official said it has hired 3,100 transportation security officers -- the blue-shirted checkpoint employees -- so far this year. The official acknowledged the request for volunteers from its office ranks is outlined in an internal memo, which was first reported by The Washington Post. The official said offices "have been sending up volunteers throughout the week and they've been accepted to deploy." The official characterized the request as the sort the agency typically makes around busy travel periods, such as Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the past, airports and airlines have also offered their employees to help with non-security roles at checkpoints -- such as managing lines and organizing conveyor belt bins -- to make the screening process smoother. The agency is combating retention challenges it has grappled with for years, plus the stress of the pandemic. Although TSA jobs offer the stability of a federal job and other benefits like the ability to transfer airports when moving, a watchdog report in 2018 identified low pay and limited career progression as common reasons for quitting.<br/>