We were recently talking about how to solve the staffing issue the quickest. I mentioned that supervisors could count as staffing more often and work in the rotation like everyone else. They get paid more so they should be expected to do more. The supervisor on starting giving all these excuses as to why that's not possible. Yes, during certain parts of the shift we need someone on the desk (pushes, weather, unusual situations), but there are other parts of the shift that don't require any work at the desk...so plug in. I know it may not work at some of the busier facilities in the NAS but for the majority of facilities supervisors should count. Hell, I'm at a pretty busy up/down now and there are certainly times throughout the day no one is needed at the desk or that the desk couldn't be managed while working a slow position. When I worked at a small up/down we rarely had a stand alone CIC. Our busiest shifts (weekends) no one from management was in the building so if we wanted a stand alone CIC a break was cut short or skipped. Come Monday morning though, with nothing going on, you bet your ass a supervisor would take the CIC from you and sit in the back and do nothing. Meanwhile we were short staffed for years and no one could leave. Give them the CIC pay back, plug in a few times a day and actually help the operation. Imagine the increase in NCEPT releases if 2-4 bodies were added to the numbers at each lower level facility.