Chair's message: rest days must be protected

15 April 2026

Every day, officers across Hertfordshire go above and beyond to keep our communities safe. From solving crime, safeguarding vulnerable people, to tackling serious incidents, your dedication and professionalism make a real difference. The Federation recognises this extraordinary work and is proud to represent you.

We also know that policing is demanding, and that recovery and rest are essential to staying effective and safe. The Federation’s Hands Off Our Rest Days campaign is about protecting that vital recovery time. Rest days are not just a break from work - they are an essential part of maintaining wellbeing, focus, and resilience.

The proposals being driven through by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) to make it easier and cheaper to cancel rest days feel misguided, ignorant and negligent. 

We are grateful for the support and constructive engagement from our Chief Constable and Hertfordshire leadership. Their efforts to listen to officers’ feedback, review shift patterns, invest in wellbeing, and improve resources show a real commitment to supporting you locally.

We recognise that our Chief is one voice among many operating within a national system. This issue sits firmly at a national level - and it is there that accountability must lie. Right now, policing is facing a crisis that those on the frontline feel every single day, yet far too few in national leadership are prepared to say it plainly.

Rest days

We have officers owed thousands of rest days. Deferred rest days that they are then told must be used within tight timeframes, or lost entirely. The irony is that the very time meant for recovery and rest is becoming another source of stress. 

At the same time, financial pressures are mounting. Food prices are rising. Council tax is rising. Fuel costs are rising. Yet pay awards are failing to keep pace, and allowances are being stripped away or eroded. For many younger officers, the question is no longer about progression - it’s about affordability. How do they live? How do they stay?

And still, the answer being put forward is to take more away.

We are seeing restrictions on overtime, barriers to using annual leave, and ongoing uncertainty around allowances. Across the country, forces are grappling with reduced budgets, station closures, and fewer resources. Years of austerity have already hollowed out policing, and now we are being asked to accept further erosion of the very conditions that keep officers going.

All of this is happening against a backdrop of increasing demand and rising tensions in our communities. We are seeing protests, public order pressures, and a more complex policing landscape than ever before. 

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Luke Mitchell

We have heard individual voices, including Sir Mark Rowley, speak out - but it cannot stop there. This is not an isolated issue. It demands a collective response.

Because right now, the trajectory is clear - and it is the wrong one.

When you make it cheaper to cancel rest days, you will get more rest days cancelled. When you reduce recovery time, you increase fatigue. When you increase fatigue, you increase risk - to officers and to the public.

That is not sustainable policing. That is policing being pushed beyond its limits. Officers are not numbers on a spreadsheet. They are people - with families, with responsibilities, with lives outside the job. The ‘Hands Off Our Rest Days’ campaign is about recognising that fundamental truth. It is about drawing attention to the human impact behind policy decisions. And it is about saying, enough is enough.

Consequences of underinvestment

We are already fighting to be heard by the Government. And now, I can’t help but feel like we are fighting the NPCC, too. The NPCC must step up and fight with us, not against us. They must speak out. They must be honest about the consequences of continued underinvestment and the erosion of pay and conditions.

Because ultimately, this comes back to priorities.

The Federation is fighting for fair treatment, sustainable working conditions, and the recognition you deserve. Protecting rest days ensures you can continue to protect the public effectively and safely, with the professionalism Hertfordshire communities rely on.

Thank you for your resilience, dedication, and commitment.

READ MORE: 'Officers are being stretched to breaking point'.