Pay and Morale 2023 results

21 March 2024

Poor pay and treatment pushing officers towards resignation

Latest Pay and Morale Survey reveals high levels of discontent amongst undervalued police officers with many planning to quit as pay lags significantly behind other public sector workers.

More than one in five police officers are planning on quitting the police service, with 78 per cent highlighting poor government treatment as the influencing factor. 

Findings from the Police Federation of England and Wales’ Pay and Morale Survey, published today [20 March], revealed low morale is increasingly impacting retention with 22 per cent of respondents expressing intentions to resign within the next two years or ‘as soon as they can’. 

Workload remains problematic, with levels unsustainable to the point of officers being unable to take the breaks they are due and 86 per cent do not feel that there are enough officers to meet the demands of their team or unit. 33 per cent of respondents ‘always’ or ‘often’ felt pressured into working long hours over the last 12 months.

Three quarters (78 per cent) are ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with their overall remuneration (including basic pay and allowances). While 18 per cent reported never having enough money to cover their essentials.

The survey also found rates of physical and verbal abuse from the public are high and officers are not getting the equipment and support they need. Only 27 per cent of respondents reported having access to double crewing ‘at all times’.

Additionally, more than 1 in 10 (15 per cent) reported they had suffered one or more injuries that required medical attention as a result of work-related violence in the last year and 34 per cent have suffered verbal insults at least once per week over the past 12 months.

PFEW is insisting the Government to take into account the restrictions and limitations put on police officers, the risks they face on a day-to-day basis and for pay to compensate this as part of our ongoing fair pay campaign. 

The organisation is taking action to address a number of areas based on the findings of the survey, including but not limited to: uprating allowances, types of leave, the P-factor and pay awards and the PRRB process.

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