Survey of police officers reveals devastating impact of pandemic on morale

4 December 2020

The impact the pandemic has had on rank and file police officers in Avon and Somerset Constabulary has been revealed after a Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) survey showed 90% of respondents reported the crisis has had a negative effect on their morale.  

This influential survey gave more than 130,000 officers their first opportunity to provide detailed feedback on how policing the pandemic affected finances and personal wellbeing.

The damage caused by COVID-19 was starkly illustrated as 84% of respondents felt they were unfairly paid for the risks and responsibilities of their job during the pandemic.  

90% of officers in Avon and Somerset considered the factor most likely to have a detrimental effect on their morale was how the police as a whole were being treated. This has been exasperated with widely inaccurate reporting of national police and local police activities during the COVID pandemic. This has been something that Chair Andy Roebuck has challenged the national and local media with. But more must be done with our partners so that a fair representation of policing in 2020 is reported. What is clear, is that some media articles during the pandemic has had a huge impact on the moral and wellbeing of our Officers.

Chair Andy Roebuck stated, “I have challenged local media and senior politicians with some of their reporting. Some people have been too quick to judge and label our officers in a hugely detrimental way. That is not acceptable and it is not fair for our officers, who on the whole try and do their very best every day.”

PFEW’s Pay and Morale Survey gathered members’ views on pay and conditions, as well as attitudes to work and the police service. Since 2014 it has been one of the largest annual surveys of police officers conducted within England and Wales.

The Pay and Morale Survey 2020 covered a wide range of subjects and canvassed views on topics such as pay, the cost of living, morale and the proposed police officer uplift.

It was compiled by PFEW’s in-house Research and Policy Department, which plays a vital part in providing strategically important evidence to achieve better pay and conditions for members.

The survey generated over 25,000 responses, which is approximately 20 per cent of all federated rank officers in the whole of England and Wales. In Avon and Somerset, nearly 500 Officers, representing 18% of the Police Federation members responded.

This survey is not taken in isolation. The Constabulary has also recently completed their staff survey and there are clear themes from both. This has given the Police Officers from Avon and Somerset a loud voice and the key themes around how we are leading our officers, looking after their welfare and well-being whilst managing work demands and cultural concerns is key. It is acknowledged that there are signs of improvements with the staff morale increasing on the whole, despite some really challenging policing times.

Chair Andy Roebuck stated, “The force values are being recognised, but we challenge some of our leaders to adhere to those values, especially around the caring and enabling those lessons to be learnt. We are moving away from a blame culture, but officers still need to see the outcomes from the words that are spoken. We have worked with the force in many areas during the last year, especially around welfare, officer safety, promotion boards and training. During times of exceptional demands, both externally and internally by having to operate and police differently, we have made some great progress with the force. We are especially heartened with the improved morale within the Constabulary and we acknowledge some exceptional work in achieving this. But, as you would expect, there is still more to do.”

The pay of our officers and the safeguarding of their entitlements is key. The local Federation has been working relentlessly in protecting the rights of officers during an exceptional COVID period.

Other key Pay and Morale Survey 2020 findings:   

84%said that they did not feel fairly paid for their experience / skills and have not been provided with fair pay compared to employees in other organisations.
69%said that pay and benefits had a negative effect on their morale 
35%were worried about the state of their personal finances either every day or almost every day
12% of respondents were considering other employment opportunities and leaving the Constabulary within the next two years.
62%of respondents also reported that their household was financially worse off now than before the COVID-19 crisis
63%of respondents did not feel their force would be able to recruit the number of officers allocated for uplift, whilst also expressing concerns around Tutor Constable, Sergeant and Inspector levels.
31% of respondents from Avon and Somerset Constabulary said that they are not treated fairly

The survey findings will be used in our submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB - an independent group which advises the government on police pay) to help inform the pay award in 2021.