Hands Off Our Rest Days: Federation reacts to NPCC proposals

24 March 2026

Plans by police chiefs to reduce officers’ pay when they have to work on what would have been a rest day have prompted the Police Federation of England and Wales to launch a new campaign.

The Hands Off Our Rest Days initiative will sit under the Federation’s current Copped Enough campaign for better pay, working conditions and support.

Disruption

Officers are entitled to a minimum four hours’ compensation at time and a half when they work on a cancelled rest day or bank holiday. This aims to recognise the disruption to their protected rest and family commitments.

But the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), in its annual submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body, is proposing this is reduced to time and a third, calculated 15-minutes at a time for the exact period worked. It also wants to tighten the rules around the re-rostering of cancelled rest days.

A Federation poll shows 85 per cent of police officers who responded oppose such changes.

“These proposals threaten to further damage morale and also affect officer retention which is an issue already crippling many forces,” says Jess Davies, chair of West Midlands Police Federation.

Struggling

“I find it difficult to comprehend what is going through chief officers’ minds in putting forward these proposals when we are already struggling to maintain numbers during a time when we are actively recruiting new officers.

“Instead of supporting their officers who are being pulled in all directions trying to meet day to day demand as well as police large scale demonstrations, they have put forward another proposal that will be a detriment to our hard-working members.

“I make no apology for repeating what I said when these proposals first came to light: you cannot run a 21^st century police force on a 20^th century budget. We need to see long-term, sustained investment in the police service not changes to pay and conditions that put further financial pressure on police officers who each and every day give their all to serve and protect their communities.”

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”.

Stand against the NPCC proposals. Sign the digital picket line.