Rest Day Plans Are 'False Economy'

24 March 2026

Chiefs’ rest day proposals are a serious mistake that risk officer welfare and public safety, according to the Police Federation of England and Wales.

The PFEW has issued a stark warning to the Government not to accept proposals from police chiefs that would make it cheaper and easier for forces to intrude on the vital rest days officers need to keep communities safe.

Police officers are currently entitled to a minimum four hours’ compensation at time and a half when they are required to work on a cancelled rest day or bank holiday, recognising the disruption to protected rest and family commitments.

In its submission to the Government-controlled Police Remuneration Review Body, police chiefs have proposed to remove that safeguard with officers paid at time and one-third, calculated in 15-minute increments, for the exact time worked. The submission also seeks to tighten the rules around how cancelled rest days are re-rostered.

In response, the Federation is launching ‘Hands Off Our Rest Days’ as part of its wider Copped Enough campaign for better pay, working conditions and support for police officers.

Tom Gent, Chair of Avon and Somerset Police Federation, said: "We are incredibly disappointed to see Chief Constables, including our own, push to make it cheaper to cancel officers’ days off and make it easier to retain them on duty off their night shifts.

“In Avon and Somerset, officers are regularly being required to come in and give up their precious family time to police protests and support day-to-day policing due to short staffing, so the impact of this will be acutely felt.

“I have made it clear to our Chief that I believe making it cheaper and easier to cancel officers’ days off will be a false economy – only increasing fatigue, sickness and continuing to make policing a less desirable career, resulting in officers leaving the profession.

“I would urge her and the NPCC to reconsider their submissions and to focus their arguments on measures that genuinely back the frontline.”

Police Federation National Chair Tiff Lynch said: "At a time when policing is getting more dangerous and when thousands are choosing to leave, chief constables are proposing not to strengthen protections for their men and women but to weaken them.”

National Secretary John Partington said: “It is difficult to see how any Chief Constable who truly supports their officers could believe making it cheaper to cancel rest days is the right approach. They should scrap these plans now.”

“Policing continues to function largely because officers repeatedly step up, cancelling rest days, missing family time and working through fatigue. Making it easier and cheaper to intrude on that rest time is not a solution. It is a gamble with officer welfare and public safety."