Annual leave

I have had to return from annual leave to attend court, what can I claim?

You will be entitled to the following:

• Recalled for one day or two days - an additional two days’ annual leave for each day recalled or one day’s annual leave and one days pay at double time, for each day.
• Recalled for three days or more - as above for the first two days then 1½ days’ annual leave or one day’s annual leave and half day’s pay at double time in lieu of each such day recalled thereafter.
• Regulation 33 covers the above. Annex 0, Paragraph 5(a) of Police Regulations and Determinations 2003, which goes on to say under Paragraph 5(b).
• This paragraph applies to a period of absence from duty of three or more days, where at least one of the days is a day of annual leave and the other days, if not days of annual leave, are rostered rest days, days taken in lieu of over-time, public holidays (or days taken off in lieu thereof) or monthly leave days, or any combination thereof.
• Under Paragraph 5(c) the above compensation also not only applies to officers actually recalled from annual leave, but also to annual leave that has been pre-booked/scheduled.

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 7 AM.

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 7 AM. following a period of rest days then you will be eligible to claim rest day over time (minimum 4 hours).

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 his/her force after full consultation with the Joint Branch Board at intervals not exceeding 12 months and not later than 1 month before the date in which it starts. Each roster will set out for at least 3 months the following:

• His/her rest days
• Public Holidays in which he/she may be required to do duty on
• The time at which his/her scheduled daily period of duty begins & end
• For part time members his/her 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 7 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 My rest day was cancelled for an operational reason, I am now no longer required to work on that day as they have scaled the operation down, what am I entitled to?

A When an officers rest day is cancelled in anticipation of an operational need for which in any event he/she is not required to attend for duty:

• Where the officer is told with more than 7 days (and less than 15 days) notice that he/she will not after all be required to work on his/her rest day, he/she will take the rest day with no compensation.
• Where the officer is given less than 8 days notice he/she can choose between taking the rest day with no compensation or working on the rest day with compensation in accordance with police regulations.

Q What travelling time can I claim when working on a rest day?

A Where an officer is required to duty on a public holiday or on a rostered rest day his/her period of duty shall include the time occupied by him/her travelling to & from his/her place of duty. This will be disregarded where the period of duty exceeds 6 hours.

Travelling expenses may also be claimed, for the journey, this ceases when there is no travel time included in the overtime.

Q I was recalled to duty from home, what can I claim?

A Travel time between home and your usual place of duty is generally not duty time.

Such travel time shall only be treated as a period of duty when you are:

• Required to perform your normal daily period of duty in more than one tour (Split Duty) or recalled to work between two tours of duty and you travel to and from your home between tours.
• In calculating any period of overtime in respect of being recalled between two tours of duty, an officer can only claim for the time worked plus travelling time (1 hour).
• The minimum of 4 hours pay for a recall to duty has been abolished.

Q My son’s school was unexpectedly closed for the day & he was sent home, I couldn’t arrange childcare, do I have to use annual leave or time out of the book to care for him?

A A police officer may take time off because of the unexpected disruption or termination of arrangements for the care of a dependant, or to deal with an incident which involves a child of the member and which occurs unexpectedly in a period during which an educational establishment, which the child attends, is responsible for him/her.

Leave taken as time off for dependants shall be treated as duty, but does not apply unless the member tells his/her chief officer the reason for his/her absence as soon as reasonably practicable. Best practice would be to inform a line supervisor of your circumstances ASAP after you become aware of it.

A “dependant” means, in relation to a member of a police force:

1. a) a spouse
   b) a child
   c) a parent
   d) a person who lives in the same household as the member, otherwise than by reason of being his employee, tenant, lodger or boarder

This also covers when a dependant falls ill, gives birth or is injured or assaulted or in consequence of the death of a dependant.

Q What will I get paid if I work after 8 pm?

A Officers from the rank of constable to chief inspector will receive an additional 10 per cent of their basic pay for all hours worked between 8:00pm and 6:00am, including overtime.

This payment is not pensionable and should be paid for each full hour actually worked. Where overtime is worked between 8:00pm and 6:00pm, the rate of the allowance is still 10 per cent of basic pay, not 10 per cent of the overtime rate. The allowance is paid in full in respect of each full hour worked – the 'Queen's half hour' is not excluded.

Q What will I get paid if I have to work away from home?

A Changes to the arrangements for officers serving away from their normal place of duty (including on 'mutual aid' in another force area):

• These changes apply to those officers who are deployed away from their normal place of duty whether in or out of force a new 'Away from home overnight' allowance of £50 will be introduced and will be payable for every night on which an officer is 'held in reserve'.
• An officer is 'held in reserve' if he or she is serving away from his or her normal place of duty and is required to stay in a particular, specified place rather than being allowed to return home.
• An officer is not 'held in reserve' if he or she is serving away from his or her normal place of duty only by reason of being on a training course or carrying out routine enquiries.
• Payment of a new hardship allowance of £30 per night if 'proper accommodation' is not provided to an officer who is 'held in reserve. The definition of 'proper accommodation' is a single occupancy room with use of en suite bathroom facilities.
• The Secretary of State's approval for the existing mutual aid arrangements set out in PNB circulars 86/15, 88/9 and 95/8 (often known as the 'Hertfordshire agreement') is withdrawn. Officers on mutual aid should now be paid in accordance with the determinations for the hours they work, including where applicable overtime and travelling time.

Q As part of my role, I’m being required to work away from my normal parade station. Can the force do this on a regular basis and what are my rights?

A Yes the force can require you to work away from your normal place of duty.

Under regulation 22 police regulations & determinations when you are working at a place other than your normal parade station then travel time has to be included into the working time. You can also claim travel expenses.

When calculating any allowance, it has been common practice for police forces to deduct the commuting distance between home and work from the total mileage claimed for work related duties. As of 1 June 2020, this method of calculation ceased and there will be no deduction for commuting distance, save where the journey is substantially the same as the daily commute and the distance travelled is less than ten miles longer in any one direction. In such cases you can only claim for the additional mileage travelled to the new location.

Q I've been detained on duty and had to buy a meal what can I claim?

A When a member of a police force is retained on duty beyond his normal daily period of duty, he shall be reimbursed the cost of any meal he then necessarily obtains provided that expenditure is reasonable and backed by a receipt.

An officer has to be retained on duty in excess of 2 hours past his normal finish time to claim this allowance, and the allowances are paid in line with the limits set in Force Policy.