Pay and Morale Survey highlights stress and workload pressures facing members

27 October 2026

New figures highlight the pressures facing Durham Police officers with excessive workloads, stress and fatigue affecting their wellbeing and time with family and friends.

The Police Federation of England and Wales’s (PFEW) annual Pay and Morale Survey found that 45 per cent of Durham respondents often or always felt pressured to work long hours, compared with 31 per cent nationally.

Meanwhile, 82 per cent said fatigue had interfered with their family or social life in the previous month.

Three quarters (76 per cent) of Durham respondents considered their workload to be too high or much too high, compared with 63 per cent across England and Wales.

Stressful

More than half (52 per cent) described their job as very or extremely stressful, above the national figure of 43 per cent.

Durham Police Federation chair Louise Guest (pictured here with secretary Phil Stephenson) said: “These findings highlight the significant pressures facing our members.

“Excessive workloads, stress and fatigue are taking a toll on their wellbeing and family lives.

“It is little wonder that PFEW has declared policing a public health emergency.

 

Branch chair Louise Guest (right) with branch secretary Phil Stevenson

 

“We must remember that behind these statistics are officers who continue to serve their communities while managing the demands of a challenging job and responsibilities away from work.

“They deserve to feel properly valued, fairly rewarded and supported in the work they do.

“Officers must have the resources and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively, and certainly not at the expense of their health and family life.

Pay remains a significant source of dissatisfaction.

Cancelled

Almost all of Durham Police respondents (97 per cent) said they did not feel fairly paid for the stresses and strains of the job. This compared to 93 per cent for England and Wales.

Two-fifths (41 per cent) of respondents said they were satisfied with their life nowadays, broadly in line with the national figure of 42 per cent.

The survey also found that 71 per cent of Durham respondents had been so fatigued that they felt too tired to carry out their duties, compared with 66 per cent nationally.

Durham officers were less likely than colleagues nationally to report having had a rest day cancelled in the previous 12 months: 43 per cent, compared with 58 per cent across England and Wales.

The survey also examined how the demands of policing affect officers with parenting responsibilities.

Among Durham respondents who were parents, 83 per cent said fatigue had interfered with their family or social life, compared with 74 per cent nationally.

Protect

More than half (56 per cent) of Durham parents said they had changed their role or team to meet their obligations as a parent, broadly in line with the national figure of 55 per cent.

Louise said: “These findings underline the importance of recognising the impact policing can have on officers, not just at work but in their home lives and relationships.

“Our members put themselves at risk every day to protect the public and face situations most people never face in their lifetime.

“We urge the Government, police leaders and policy makers to take these findings seriously and support and invest in those men and women.”

Read the full report online.

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