Change of duties

Q. I am being asked to change my duties at short notice, can they do that?

A. The chief officer shall cause to be published duty rosters for members of their force after full consultation with the Federation branch at intervals not exceeding 12 months and not later than one month before the date in which it starts. Each roster will set out for at least three months the following:

• Their rest days
• Public holidays in which they may be required to do duty on
• The time at which their scheduled daily period of duty begins and ends
• For part-time members their free days
• Intervals of at least 11 hours between the end and the beginning of the next shift
• An interval between rostered rest days not exceeding seven days.

Where alterations are made to an annual duty roster after its publication these changes must arise from the exigencies of duty (unless they are made at the officer’s own request or have otherwise been agreed with the joint branch board).

The term exigencies of duty should be interpreted as relating to situations where a pressing demand, need or requirement is perceived that is not reasonably avoidable and necessitates a change of roster. In this context the word, pressing, relates to the expected situation at the time when the duty is to be performed rather than the time when the duty roster is changed, ie the reasons for a change may be known many months in advance but still be pressing.

Changes to rosters should only be made after full consideration of welfare, operational and practical circumstances rather than purely on financial grounds. Because rosters are produced annually a number of unforeseen reasons for changes may subsequently arise. It is clearly not possible to produce an exhaustive list of all of the potential reasons, which may necessitate changes. However, by way of example, unforeseen public order situations, court attendance and essential training would justify changes to rostered duties. An officer should be told as soon as the requirement for the change is known and at the latest, by midnight on the calendar day before the changed period of duty commences.

Q. I was told I had to start my shift earlier than scheduled, what can I claim?

A. Where the time at which an officer is due to commence a rostered tour of duty is brought forward without due notice (less than 8 hours) so that they are required to commence duty on a day in which they have already completed their normal period of duty. The time for which they are on duty before the rostered commencement time shall be reckonable as overtime and also taken into account as part of that tour of duty. The force day commences at 7am.

If you are given more than 8 hours notice of the duty change then your working day merely starts at the new time. If the time you are brought on at is before 7am. following a period of rest days then you will be eligible to claim rest day over time (minimum 4 hours).