The Police Superintendents' Association and the Chief Police Officers Staff Association have issued a joint statement in response to the Home Office Pay Award announcement - 19th July 2022.
Pay award: Joint statement
CC John Robins, Chair, Chief Police Officers Staff Association
Chief Supt Dan Murphy, National Secretary, Police Superintendents’ Association
"Yet again, this pay award fails to fairly reward or recognise those tasked with serving and protecting our communities.
"This is the first time we have seen a targeted pay award – something that is incredibly divisive and creates both inequality and a lack of fairness across a service based on a rank structure. There is no long-term strategy behind this approach, which ignores the rank structure of police officer pay, and disadvantages those with the highest levels of responsibility.
"Although this will be reassuring news for frontline officers and recognises the financial challenges those younger in service have been facing for some time, in real terms, the pay rise will vary by as much as 7% between officers, with the increase reducing at every rank. Anyone with a supervisory responsibility will receive a smaller pay increase than those they are tasked with managing, and those with responsibility for the highest levels of threat, harm and risk, will receive minimal increases that do not reflect the nature of their work or help them to manage the cost of living issues felt by all ranks.
"Senior officers have not had a pay rise since 2020 and have experienced a reduction in their income as a result of changes to national insurance contributions. Today’s announcement confirms a continuation of this real-term pay cut. The vacancy rate amongst chief officers is 20 percent; the worst it has been for many years and a figure that is rising. While there is turnover at all levels in the police service, there are particular risks associated with losing significant numbers of those in senior leadership roles, particularly at a critical time for policing across the country.
"This year, the PRRB has lacked any input or evidence from the majority of the workforce, with the Police Federation and the Police Superintendents’ Association withdrawing from the process following continued concerns over the lack of fairness and independence of the pay review process.
"We will now be seeking answers as to why the PRRB has recommended this targeted pay decision, which contradicts the evidence it received, with CPOSA, NPCC and the Home Office recommending an across the board pay increase. Ignoring this evidence and implementing this divisive pay award will add to the inequality issues, low morale and motivation issues we know are embedded across the Service."
Pay award: Joint statement
CC John Robins, Chair, Chief Police Officers Staff Association
Chief Supt Dan Murphy, National Secretary, Police Superintendents’ Association
"Yet again, this pay award fails to fairly reward or recognise those tasked with serving and protecting our communities.
"This is the first time we have seen a targeted pay award – something that is incredibly divisive and creates both inequality and a lack of fairness across a service based on a rank structure. There is no long-term strategy behind this approach, which ignores the rank structure of police officer pay, and disadvantages those with the highest levels of responsibility.
"Although this will be reassuring news for frontline officers and recognises the financial challenges those younger in service have been facing for some time, in real terms, the pay rise will vary by as much as 7% between officers, with the increase reducing at every rank. Anyone with a supervisory responsibility will receive a smaller pay increase than those they are tasked with managing, and those with responsibility for the highest levels of threat, harm and risk, will receive minimal increases that do not reflect the nature of their work or help them to manage the cost of living issues felt by all ranks.
"Senior officers have not had a pay rise since 2020 and have experienced a reduction in their income as a result of changes to national insurance contributions. Today’s announcement confirms a continuation of this real-term pay cut. The vacancy rate amongst chief officers is 20 percent; the worst it has been for many years and a figure that is rising. While there is turnover at all levels in the police service, there are particular risks associated with losing significant numbers of those in senior leadership roles, particularly at a critical time for policing across the country.
"This year, the PRRB has lacked any input or evidence from the majority of the workforce, with the Police Federation and the Police Superintendents’ Association withdrawing from the process following continued concerns over the lack of fairness and independence of the pay review process.
"We will now be seeking answers as to why the PRRB has recommended this targeted pay decision, which contradicts the evidence it received, with CPOSA, NPCC and the Home Office recommending an across the board pay increase. Ignoring this evidence and implementing this divisive pay award will add to the inequality issues, low morale and motivation issues we know are embedded across the Service."
Taken from paragraph 31 of the 2022 PRRB report:
The table below sets out the implications of the consolidated increase in percentage terms for each rank.
Table 1: Percentage value of £1,900 award, by rank.
