Working time
The PSA has progressed various initiatives to understand the demand placed upon members, obtaining data through consultation exercises such as Project Cadmium. This information, alongside the resulting impact on work / life balance, has been of particular importance within the context of austerity and reduced numbers.
The data we have received from members has raised concern over wellbeing and welfare, and as a result, PSA national officers have sought to achieve:
- A national mechanism for officers to be able to accurately record their working hours
- An agreed definition of what should be recorded as work
- A change to police regulations to allow for the superintending ranks to work part-time and flexibly
- A change to police regulations to define the working week for superintendents as 40 hours
- A change to police regulations to prevent officers losing their re-rostered rest days once they become 12 months old
- Ongoing work with the NPCC to ensure chief officers discharge their responsibilities under the Working Time Regulations
Key changes
During 2019/20, members were provided with the Project Cadmium template to enable the accurate recording of working hours (available here). We also secured support from the home secretary to change regulations to resolve the re-rostered rest day issue, define the length of a superintendent’s working week and allow for part-time and flexible working. Relevant documents can be found here.
In further developing these issues, we have worked closely with AC Matt Jukes in his role as lead for pay and conditions. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the NPCC and the PSA was agreed and signed on the 20th April 2021 and can be accessed here. In summary, the MOU:
- Defines working time for the superintending ranks
- Recognises chief constables’ responsibilities under the Working Time Regulations to:
- Implement WTR compliant arrangements and governance to effectively record, monitor and report on working hours at an individual level and across forces for both police officers and staff
- Utilise WTR as a guide to testing the resilience of working arrangements, personal approaches to work and overall, questions of wellbeing.
- Utilise WTR as a guide to testing the resilience of working arrangements, personal approaches to work and overall, questions of wellbeing.
The NPCC National Reward Team has undertaken to review these arrangements as part of its autumn survey of forces. This area will continue to remain a concern for the association, and we will monitor these issues with interest so that we can seek to achieve further change where necessary.
Working Time MOU
Op Cadmium - Time recording spreadsheet
Working Time MOU
Op Cadmium - Time recording spreadsheet
Compressed and Part-Time Hours and Rest Days
In April 2020, after lengthy negotiations by the PSA, the Home Secretary agreed changes to regulations, amending Annex E, F and H which provide flexible working opportunities for the superintending ranks.
These changes introduce:
- Part-time working for the superintending ranks, allowing payment for extra work up to a 40 hour working week;
- days off in lieu for superintendents with compressed working weeks who have to work on their additional day(s) off; and
- an ‘exceptional clause’ enabling superintendents to carry over rest days for a further 12 months in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Chief Constable