Date: 201710
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZKC.ARTCC, KS
Aircraft: No Aircraft
Airspace: Class A ZKC; Class E ZKC
ATC / advisory: Center ZKC
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Confusion; Distraction; Workload; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Staffing
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: I was working the Radar on combined sectors and there was a trainee training on the Radar Assist. The sector was starting to pick up and the supervisor came over and said something to the trainer. The trainer then told the trainee to forward the sector and got up. It was starting to get busy so I didn't know what they were doing and the trainer said he had to go talk to the supervisor but that they'd probably split the sector. I started getting busy with phone calls that the Assist would have normally taken and then I noticed the trainer opening the other sector.I tried to start switching people to the right frequency but it was chaotic because I didn't have time to switch them before he called. There was a laundry list of things that needed to be done. Conflictions needed to be resolved; flight plans needed to be corrected; aircraft altitudes needed to be coordinated; etc. The supervisor came over to see why I wasn't splitting the sector and I told her I was too busy because she took away my Assist and that I'd much rather just have them sit on my sector and actually help. She agreed but she'd give me a tracker. I told her that was fine and that I legitimately was not trying to be a jerk about it. So; the trainer came back and they started helping; and the next controller to come in plugged in to track. A few minutes later; the Operations Manager (OM) came in and told the controller who was tracking to get me out. I said; are you kidding me? We're this busy and you really want to pull this? So; I obliged and let the controller get me out. I put away my headset; went to the supervisor and the OM; and said; 'Ok; let's have this talk.' The OM said; 'oh no; you need to open the other sector. It's a lot slower over there so you should be able to handle it.' So I went and got my headset and opened it up even though the controller was not ready just like I wasn't before and was now busier. Aircraft were not on the correct frequencies and there was conflictions that were being resolved in the middle of everything. I had no issue with splitting the sector but the timing was terrible and there was no word given to me that it was being split. There needs to be some more accountability put on management when they make these decisions and do a terrible job of executing it. Air traffic control is not a static environment that is the same every time. Using a shoehorn to get your way in an already stressful situation creates a more dangerous situation than the one you were trying to avoid. And being petty about the entire thing is just childish. Management needs to be able to evaluate situations beyond 'is the sector green or red?' Controllers evaluate the situations constantly and they act like safety isn't our priority.




Synopsis: ATC Center Controller reported supervisory personnel ordered the controllers to split a sector in the middle of a busy traffic period.