The Police Federation has issued a stark warning to the Government not to accept proposals from police chiefs that would weaken protections around police officers’ rest days.
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, recognising the disruption to protected rest and family commitments.
In their submission to the Government-controlled Police Remuneration Review Body, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has 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 today launched ‘Hands Off Our Rest Days’ as part of its wider Copped Enough campaign for better pay, working conditions and support for police officers.
A poll of police officers shows 85 per cent of respondents oppose such changes.
Taken together, the proposals would significantly erode existing protections for officers and could further damage morale at a time where retention in the service is already poor, and demand is high.
The warning comes after policing leaders themselves admitted the service is under unsustainable pressure.
Following a summer in which more than 3,000 protests were policed across the UK, NPCC Chair Gavin Stephens acknowledged cancelled leave, and redeployments had repeatedly disrupted officers’ “precious time with their loved ones”.
With further demonstrations planned this Sunday, on Mother’s Day, it brings to the fore how policing is held together by officer goodwill, not sufficient capacity.
Police Federation National Chair Tiff Lynch said: "Police officers are working under extraordinary strain, with cancelled rest days and disrupted family lives increasingly the norm.
"Instead of strengthening protections for officers’ wellbeing, chiefs are proposing to weaken them. That is a serious mistake, and we are urging the Government in the strongest possible terms not to accept these proposals.
"Officers have copped enough. Protected rest time is not a luxury, it is essential for officer wellbeing and for effective policing.
"It is difficult to see how any policing leader who truly supports their officers could believe making it cheaper to cancel rest days is the right approach."
National Secretary John Partington said: "Chiefs themselves have acknowledged policing is under intolerable strain, yet these proposals would weaken the very safeguards that protect officers from burnout and exhaustion.
"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.
"We urge Government to reject the proposals and instead work with officers to strengthen, not dilute, the protections that allow them to serve the public safely and sustainably.”
