#PayAndMorale: 83% of Surrey Police officers dissatisfied with their remuneration

11 January 2023

A massive 83% of Surrey Police officers who responded to the latest Pay and Morale Survey said they were dissatisfied with their remuneration, and 93% said they did not feel respected by the Government.

The survey was carried out by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) in the autumn of 2022, and 583 responses were received from Surrey Police officers. 

Pay was a major concern among respondents, following years of below-inflation pay deals for police officers and a cost-of-living crisis that has seen food, housing and energy costs soar. 

A huge 98% of Surrey respondents said their cost of living had increased in the past month; 84% felt that they were worse off financially than they were five years ago. Worryingly, a fifth of respondents reported never or almost never having enough money to cover all their essentials. 

Meanwhile, 93% said they do not feel respected by the Government and 69% said that they would not recommend joining the police to others.

Unsurprisingly, 51% of Surrey Police respondents said their morale was currently ‘low’ or ‘very low’; 87% felt that morale within the force was low. A shocking 85% said they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the past 12 months.

Surrey Police Federation Secretary Tom Arthur said: “Poor pay, conditions and work-life balance are taking their toll on our officers. The survey of our members in Surrey mirrors the feeling nationally and across the emergency services family. 

“A lack of respect and acknowledgement of the police from the Government is driving officers’ morale to an all-time low, with 20% of those surveyed stating that they intend to resign within the next two years or as soon as possible.

“When the Government gets itself into a hole, it expects the police to be its first port of call. Yet again and again conditions are eroded, the work-life balance gets worse and morale drops even further. 

“Like many workers in the country, the police want and need to be recognised for the unique role that they perform. My message to the Government is: Start recognising your emergency services and start supporting your police officers.”