FAQs: Annual leave

22 September 2025

As a police officer, your annual leave is important for your wellbeing, development and work-life balance.

It can be difficult, however, to keep track of all your rights around different types of time off and the host of eventualities in policing that can come with them.

That’s why we’ve created these FAQs to help you get the most out of your entitlements.

How much annual leave am I entitled to?

You could be entitled up to 30 days of annual leave a year, dependent on your length of your service.

Federated officers working standard full-time hours (40 hours a week) are entitled to the following amounts of annual leave, with pro-rata entitlements for part-time officers:

• Fewer than 2 years’ service: 22 days (176 hours)

• 2 to 9 years’ service: 25 days (200 hours)

• 10 to 14 years’ service: 27 days (216 hours)

• 15 to 19 years’ service: 28 days (224 hours)

• 20+ years’ service: 30 days (240 hours)

Meanwhile, direct entry inspectors are entitled to the following amounts of annual leave:

• Fewer than 6 years’ service: 25 days (200 hours)

• 6 to 10 years’ service: 27 days (216 hours)

• 11 to 15 years’ service: 28 days (224 hours)

• 16+ years’ service: 30 days (240 hours)

Your annual leave entitlement period runs from 1 April to the following 31 March.

How do my annual leave entitlements increase as my service continues?

As your service continues, you will accrue leave at a rate of 1/12 of your full entitlement with each completed calendar month.

This accrual will continue during periods of unpaid leave, sickness leave or maternity leave, unless there is an express agreement with the Force, such as a career break.

Can I carry my annual leave over to the following year?

At the discretion of the chief officer and subject to exigencies of duty, officers can carry up to five days of leave from the current year to the next year. In exceptional circumstances, the chief officer may authorise this amount to be increased.

Equally, at the discretion of the chief officer and subject to exigencies of duty, officers can bring forward up to five days of leave from the next year to the last month of the current year.

If you have lost out on annual leave due to sickness and it was not possible to use your full entitlement in the current year, you can carry over up to four weeks of leave to the following year (less any annual leave or public holidays already taken). However, any leave carried over must be taken within 18 months of the end of the year in which it was accrued.

How do I reclaim my annual leave if I was sick during it?

Officers who fall sick during a period of annual leave or public holiday and wish to reclaim their leave must follow the Force policy for reporting sickness absence, reporting sickness on the first day of falling unwell.

If your sickness lasted for less than seven consecutive days, you are able to take the period of leave they were unwell for at another time. If your sickness lasted for seven consecutive days or more, officers are able to take period of leave they were unwell for at another time, providing there is qualifying evidence for this (e.g. a medical note).

How do I reclaim my annual leave if I was recalled to duty during it?

If you are recalled to duty during a period of absence of three days or more (where at least one day is annual leave and the other days are any combination of rostered rest days, time off in lieu of overtime, public holidays, and time off in lieu of public holidays), you are entitled to the following compensation:

• 1 days’ leave for each of the first 2 days recalled, OR

• 1 days’ leave and 1 days’ work at double-time pay for each of the first 2 days recalled

If you are recalled for more than two days, you are entitled to the following compensation:

• 1.5 days’ leave for each of the subsequent days recalled, OR

• 1 days’ leave and 0.5 days’ work at double-time pay for each of the subsequent days recalled

 A day's pay is defined as eight hours, or the equivalent for part-time officers or officers working in alternative shift systems.

This is not considered to be overtime by the Force, so is claimable by inspectors.

How do I get compensated for annual leave I haven’t taken upon leaving the Force?

Upon the termination of your service, if your proportion of annual leave taken in the last year of your service is less than the proportion of the year which has passed, you are entitled to payment in lieu of the untaken days.

However, upon the termination of your service, if your proportion of annual leave taken is more than the proportion of the year which has expired, the Force is entitled to compensation from you – whether by payment, additional service, or otherwise.

When should I book my annual leave?

Requests for annual leave should be submitted as early as possible – particularly for peak times such as school holidays – to allow leave to be planned and authorised equitably and fairly.

Since the wellbeing benefits of taking leave from work are well recognised, officers are encouraged to take their full entitlement. Approval is subject to exigencies of duty (where it may be necessary to restrict or stop applications for annual leave at certain periods), so it’s always better to submit your application early.

Can I still book annual leave if I’m suspended from duty?

If you are suspended from duty due to a misconduct investigation, you can continue to manage and book your annual leave as if still at work. Before approving leave, line managers are required to check with the Force’s Professional Standards Department (PSD) that this will not impede the progress of the misconduct investigation.

What if a public holiday falls on my rest day/free day? 

If a public holiday falls on your rostered rest day, and you are not required to work, then the rest day is reallocated.

If a public holiday falls on your free day, you will receive holiday hours equal to your public holiday entitlement. You can use these public holiday hours to book time off work in the same way as annual leave.

Can I take time off for medical appointments?

You are entitled to paid time off for preventative medical treatments and screening appointments. The Force will encourage you to make medical appointments should be made outside of working hours where possible, or as near to the start or end of your shift to minimise disruption. However, the policy is flexible enough to recognise that this is not always possible.

Absence from work of one day or more due to essential surgical or medical procedures will be recorded as sickness absence.

If you want to take time off for elective surgery, you should request annual leave or time off in lieu (TOIL) to cover your absence. Paid time off will not usually be given, other than for psychological or health reasons, or if complications arise that requires additional time off.

Can I take time off for training?

Officer with at least 26 weeks’ continuous service have the right to request unpaid time off to undertake any training which they believe will improve their own effectiveness and/or the performance of the Force. However, there is no automatic entitlement to have time off granted.

There is no set limit on the amount of training time off that the officer can request, but only one request can be submitted in any 12-month period.

Can I take time off for compassionate leave?

Compassionate leave is available to help an officer cope with a traumatic event or circumstances, such as severe ill health, injury or death, of a partner, dependant, or near relative or person close to them. This could also include becoming the victim of domestic abuse.

You should contact your line manager as soon as possible to inform them of the situation and discuss what support can be provided. The amount of compassionate leave to be granted is down to the line manager’s discretion, with up to three days of paid compassionate leave (a further four days’ extension can be approved by the superintendent or head of department).

Parental bereavement leave (two weeks’ paid leave) is available to all officers who suffer a still-birth after 24 weeks of pregnancy or lose a child under the age of 18.

Can I take time off for jury service?

If you are required to attend jury service, you should immediately notify your line manager of the dates to enable appropriate cover to be found. The normal length of jury service is two weeks.

If your absence is likely to cause substantial operational harm, the Force may require you to apply to be excused or to defer their jury service.

You would continue to receive normal full pay during jury service, including allowances.

You can find further information on your annual leave entitlements on the latest Quick Reference Guide produced by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), with the relevant section beginning on page 46.

You can also contact the Hertfordshire Police Federation office. Our team will be happy to help with any guidance you may need.