History Main / CriticalStaffingShortage

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'s'' Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Never mind staff, the only actual living ''person'' in the entire game is Chell. There used to be a lot more people working there, but [[spoiler:[=GlaDOS=] killed them all]].

* A game mechanic in ''VideoGame/{{Pharaoh}}'', and quite possibly the single biggest headache in the game. Services that have less than full staff work slower, and since housing and industry depend on these services walking past, this creates a Catch22Dilemma: housing is devolving because the lack of services, so people are kicked out. This lowers your population, and in turn the amount of available workers, which means services suffer, which means devolving housing, which... Compounded by the fact that some buildings don't work ''at all'' with even a single worker missing, to the point where the game considers that up 5% unemployment (out of thousands) to be fine, a mere ''10 workers'' is a major cause for alarm (when it's quite common to see shortages in the hundreds).\\
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Thankfully, there are several AcceptableBreaksFromReality to deal with this: workers are taken from the workforce as a whole, so closing a mine frees up workers for farming or training musicians, you can order entire sectors to be fully staffed at the cost of others, and you only need a single house near the industry to get workers to it instead of a fully-supported neighborhood.

** Occurs in an episode where crewmen keep disappearing while aliens appear in their place. Before too much longer, they're down to a skeleton crew, and then it turns out it's a ploy to take over the ship, beaming crew members off one at a time and replacing them with their own people.

* ''Series/TheOrville'': the only reason Ed Mercer is even given command of the titular ship is because the Union has 3000 ships to crew, and he's the only captain available.

* Implied in the ''SimCity'' games when you set the budget for services really really low.

* In "The Yalu Brick Road", almost the entire camp gets food poisoning from the Thanksgiving turkeys Klinger procured, leaving Margaret, Charles and Father Mulcahy (who were all away from camp and the only ones NOT to eat the turkeys) to do everything until Hawkeye and BJ (and the North Korean soldier who surrendered to them) can arrive with the medication they need for everyone.

* This is an underlying theme in both of the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' prequel series, taking place in the aftermath of ThePlague. In ''Literature/StephanieHarrington'', it is the justification for a large immigration incentive program, bringing many families with valuable skills to the Star Kingdom, including the Harringtons. In ''Literature/ManticoreAscendant'', widespread manpower shortages plague all levels of Manticoran society, including the Royal Manticoran Navy, leaving most of their warships unmanned and parked in orbit over the homeworld.

* On ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'', the ''Galactica'' was about to be decommissioned, so the Colonial Navy already stripped it of its best personnel and it is left with a RagtagBunchOfMisfits who were meant to be retired or discharged after the ''Galactica'' is scrapped. When the war with the Cylons starts, combat losses makes this problem even worse. New personnel are recruited from the civilian fleet, and at one point, Adama has to cut a deal with the prisoners on a prison ship in order to use them as needed labor. There is almost a mutiny because skilled people are kept in undesirable job positions because their skillset is too valuable to allow them to be promoted or transferred out.

** Later on the cast settles for a time in a prison that probably had a couple hundred inmates and guards. At their peak of RedShirts there are maybe three dozen. This is a real problem in the fourth season when there just aren't enough able-bodied people around to do everything.

* In one ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode, it is established that the TARDIS is designed to be flown by six Time Lords at once, not by a single Time Lord. This is supposed to be the reason why the TARDIS doesn't always go where (or when) the Doctor wants it to go, and why he can't reach all the controls from one spot, necessitating constant motion from panel to panel.

Compare/contrast OddlySmallOrganization and CrewOfOne. May be the result of a BrainDrain. Can be caused by MookDepletion.

** On a couple of occasions the nurses are all shipped off because of a potential bombing (or other) attack by North Koreans, so the doctors and enlisted personnel have to do all the stuff the nurses usually do. At one point even a civilian bartender gets roped into nurse duty during an operation.
** Another time, due to a flu epidemic Hawkeye was the only doctor who wasn't bedridden. He had to jump from operating table to operating table doing bits of surgeries while the nurses helped much more than usual. Margaret pretty much performed an operation all by herself, but not without a lot of coaching and encouragement from Hawkeye.

* Happens to the ''Normandy'' in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' after [[spoiler:the Collectors abduct the entire crew minus the {{Player Character}}s and Joker.]]

* In ''Film/JurassicPark'', most of the usual staff is sent to the mainland in advance of a hurricane, leaving Hammond and a few others behind, about half of them visitors and away from the main facility. They still expect to be okay, but then the power goes out and all hell breaks loose. In the book, the park is ''intentionally'' understaffed even before the hurricane to save on personnel costs.

* In one ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode, it is established that the TARDIS is designed to be flown by six Time Lords at once, not by a single Time Lord. This is supposed to be the reason why the TARDIS doesn't always go where (or when) the Doctor wants it to go.

* The [[HotSubOnSubAction final act]] of ''Literature/TheHuntForRedOctober'' (at least the book version) gives some additional difficulties to the people that remain on the titular missile sub because they're twenty people handing a ship designed to be run by a crew of a hundred and twenty. An earlier sub-plot [[AdaptedOut excised from the movie version]] involved the running of an [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece about-to-be-decommissioned]] American sub to the spot where the ''Red October'' was to be "sunk" and be destroyed in its stead, while also being only staffed by about a dozen officers who had to do multiple duties, like an engineer working as a cook when off shift.

* The [[HotSubOnSubAction final act]] of ''Literature/TheHuntForRedOctober'' (at least the book version) gives some additional difficulties to the people that remain on the titular missile sub because they're a half-dozen people handing a ship designed to be run by a couple of hundred. An earlier sub-plot [[AdaptedOut excised from the movie version]] involved the running of an [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece about-to-be-decommissioned]] American sub to the spot where the ''Red October'' was to be "sunk" and be destroyed in its stead, while also being only staffed by about a dozen officers who had to do multiple duties, like an engineer working as a cook when off shift.

There are almost as many reasons for the drastic reduction in staff as there are examples, ranging from benign to apocalyptic, but generally the short staff themselves are either a few original members that somehow missed or were spared by the circumstances or newcomers that arrived after a period of abandonment. Time may be spent trying to get equipment back up and running, keeping malfunctions from progressing, or looking for information on the reason for the current situation. This can lead to tension and danger since there aren't enough people to do everything, and some of those things are probably keeping them from dying.

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

* In ''Film/JurassicPark'' most of the usual staff is sent to the mainland in advance of a hurricane, leaving Hammond and a few others behind, about half of them visitors and away from the main facility. They still expect to be okay, but then the power goes out and all hell breaks loose. In the book, the park is ''intentionally'' understaffed even before the hurricane to save on personnel costs.

** In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', Jack Sparrow and Will Turner steal a ship by pretending to attempt to steal another ship, one larger and far more complicated, so that the Navy will come up with the smaller and easier to manage vessel already rigged for sailing. During a later argument Jack nearly flings Will into the ocean, but lets him live because just two people crewing the ship is cutting it close as it is.
** In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'', it's inverted. The ''Black Pearl'''s crew is imprisoned in two halves, and one pirate blurts out that the ship can make do with a crew of just six, prompting [[VillainBall a race by both halves to escape first]]. Later on Jack hires a ton of unqualified surplus sailors not because the ship needs them but because he needs 99 souls to give to Davy Jones in exchange for his own soul going free.

** ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'': The Enterprise is on a cadet cruise, with only vital systems manned by the cadets and a few senior staff supervising, and none of the science labs, or other stuff Starfleet usually has, active. The Reliant is similarly under-manned with only Khan's dwindling number of loyal followers. Space Station Regula 1 is also on short staff, with David noting that everyone is on leave.
** ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'': Scotty has jerry-rigged the ship to operate with only five crew. The ''Enterprise'' is supposed to have a crew of hundreds. At least the automation breaks down later. Scotty says "The automation system's overloaded. I didn't expect to take us into combat, ya know...!" It's understandable that simply moving in a straight line could be done with a far smaller crew than usually necessary.
** ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'': The stolen Klingon bird of prey is manned only by the Enterprise command crew, half of what it should have.

** ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'': The newly launched ''Enterprise''-B's staff shortage (insufficient even for a trip around Earth's solar system as it doesn't even have a single medical staff member or first aider on board) ultimately forces Kirk to make a HeroicSacrifice to save a trouble stricken transport due to unavailability of engineering crew.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

** In ''Discworld/GoingPostal'', it is revealed that the Royal Post Office in Ankh-Morpork, formerly a city institution employing thousands, has atrophied with the years to a point where only two men remain -- an elderly eccentric and a young boy who could be described as a little bit strange. The job of the new manager is to get it up and running again -- with a staff of only two men and a cat. This doesn't last long, though; a load of retired postmen come in to lend a hand, and the new Postmaster retains the services of some {{golem}}s, meeting his LoveInterest in the process.

* The [[HotSubOnSubAction final act]] of ''Literature/TheHuntForRedOctober'' (at least the book version) gives some additional difficulties to the people that remain on the titular missile sub because they're a half-dozen people handing a ship designed to be run by a couple of hundred. An earlier sub-plot [[AdaptedOut excised from the movie version]] involved the running of an [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece about-to-be-decommissioned]] American sub to the spot where the ''Red October'' was to be "sunk" and be destroyed in its stead, while also being only staffed by about a dozen officers who had to do multiple duties, like an engineer working as a cook when off-shift.

* In Creator/{{David Gemmell}}'s ''Literature/{{Legend}}'', the Drenai fortress of Dros Delnoch is supposed to be manned during wartime by 40,000 soldiers. However, the current Drenai leadership has focused more on domestic matters rather than maintaining a strong military presence on the borders. When a massive Nadir army lays siege to Dros Delnoch, the fortress only has 10,000 under-trained and badly led soldiers to hold the walls.
* In the ''Star Trek'' novel "Crossover" Scotty revisits his automation system when he steals a [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece museum ship]]. The computer in a TNG-era shuttlecraft proves to be more than up to the task of controlling a TOS-era starship, meaning that Scotty can fly the entire thing on his own.

* In one point in ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Wraith Squadron]]'', the eponymous squadron [[HighSpeedHijack comes into possession of]] a Corellian Corvette, a light capital ship with a standard crew of between 50 and 100, plus ground forces. They are forced to operate the ship, and keep the old crew prisoner, and make modifications on it (to fit all their starfighters -- it's a carrier, sure, but it's only supposed to hold 4 [=TIEs=]), ''and'' fly a combat mission, with a total crew of 13, plus a protocol droid. Kell Tainer describes their sleep levels as "barely adequate". Fortunately, they're able to meet up with friendly forces and have a real crew transferred before long.

* ''{{Series/Andromeda}}''. The ''Series/{{Andromeda}} Ascendant'' originally had a crew of thousands, but in the first episode everyone but Captain Dylan Hunt either abandons ship or is killed as it gets stuck in orbit around a black hole. For most of the series the crew consists of the captain and the five (later four) former crew of a salvage ship who pulled the ship away from the black hole 300 years later (due to TimeDilation). Other characters join as well, and the crew varies between 6 and 7 for most of the rest of the series. Andromeda's {{AI}} can fill most crew roles herself so they get by, but it's pointed out several times that the ship is way less effective in combat -- or anything else -- than it would be fully crewed.
* On ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' the Galactica was about to be decommissioned so the Colonial Navy already stripped it of its best personnel and it is left with a RagtagBunchOfMisfits who were meant to be retired or discharged after the Galactica is scrapped. When the war with the Cylons starts, combat losses makes this problem even worse. New personnel are recruited from the civilian fleet and at one point Adama has to cut a deal with the prisoners on a prison ship in order to use them as needed labor. There is almost a mutiny because skilled people are kept in undesirable job positions because their skillset is too valuable to allow them to be promoted or transferred out.
* In one ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode it is established that the TARDIS is designed to be flown by six Time Lords at once, not by a single Time Lord. This is supposed to be the reason why the TARDIS doesn't always go where (or when) The Doctor wants it to go.

* In ''Series/StargateUniverse'' less than 50 people arrive on a ship designed for many more - but it's a good thing they number so few, because the ship is falling apart after millions of years despite its RagnarokProofing, and they are far less prepared than the expedition to Atlantis. Most of their time is spent trying to keep systems failures from killing them.

** The series begins with both the Voyager and the Maquis ship sustaining heavy casualties while far away from Federation space. The only way Voyager can be operated is by merging the two crews and having skilled Maquis take over key positions on the ship. Notably, neither crew has a doctor or even a medic left alive so the Emergency Medical Hologram has to be used all the time which it was not really designed for. Over the course of the series the EMH develops a distinct personality and starts fighting for his rights as a person.
** Occurs in an episode where crewmen keep disappearing while aliens appear in their place. Before too much longer they're down to a skeleton crew and then it turns out it's a ploy to take over the ship, beaming crew members off one at a time and replacing them with their own people.

--> '''Dr. Crusher:''' It's all perfectly logical to you, isn't it? The two of us roaming about the galaxy in the flagship of the Federation. No crew at all.
--> '''Captain Picard:''' We've never needed a crew before.
--> '''Dr. Crusher:''' What is the primary mission of the starship Enterprise?
--> '''Computer:''' To explore the galaxy.
--> '''Dr. Crusher:''' Do I have the necessary skills to complete that mission alone?
--> '''Computer:''' Negative.
--> '''Dr. Crusher:''' Then why am I the only crew-member? (the computer makes a strange noise) Aha, got you there.

[[folder:{{Pinball}}]]
* Referenced in Creator/SternPinball's ''Pinball/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' table. The "All Pirates" mode requires the player to gather six named pirates -- the minimum number needed to sail the ''Black Pearl'' in [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean the movies.]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* Happens to the ''Normandy'' in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' after [[spoiler: the Collectors abduct the entire crew minus the {{Player Character}}s and Joker.]]

* In the thirteenth mission of the first game in [[VideoGame/GhostRecon Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon]], you are able to walk right through the gate to a Russian air force base due to mass desertions mentioned in the mission briefing.

* In the thirteenth mission of the first game in VideoGame/TomClancysGhostRecon, you are able to walk right through the gate to a Russian air force base due to mass desertions mentioned in the mission briefing.

'''Carne:''' That's just what you told the waiters, isn't it!? It's ''you're'' fault we're so overworked!

Compare/contrast OddlySmallOrganization and CrewOfOne. May be the result of a BrainDrain.

* In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', as in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the [[ImpartialPurposeDrivenFaction Night's Watch]] can now only staff 3 of their 40 castles.

* In Creator/{{David Gemmell}}'s ''Legend'', the Drenai fortress of Dros Delnoch is supposed to be manned during wartime by 40,000 soldiers. However, the current Drenai leadership has focused more on domestic matters rather than maintaining a strong military presence on the borders. When a massive Nadir army lays siege to Dros Delnoch, the fortress only has 10,000 under-trained and badly led soldiers to hold the walls.

Compare/contrast OddlySmallOrganization and CrewOfOne.

[[AC:Comics]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Pinball}}]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* Implied in the ''SimCity'' games when you set the budget for services really really low.

** In the "City Watch" subseries, the Night Watch, made virtually redundant by the legalizing of crime, is reduced to four men (Two incompetents and an idealist, commanded by an alcoholic) to police a city of a million by the time ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' is set. This gets better over the course of the series, with the City Watch eventually numbering in the dozens and later the low hundreds.

** In ''Discworld/GoingPostal'', it is revealed that the Royal Post Office in Ankh-Morpork, formerly a city institution employing thousands, has atrophied with the years to a point where only two men remain -- an elderly eccentric and a young boy who could be described as a little bit strange. The job of the new manager is to get it up and running again -- with a staff of only two men and a cat.