Norfolk Police Officers Accumulate 19,000 Unused Rest Days

A Freedom of Information request has disclosed that police officers within a specific force are due approximately 19,000 rest days. The Norfolk Police Federation stated that personnel, ranging from police constables to chief inspectors, have accumulated 152,395 hours of owed time, which is equivalent to 17 years. The Federation attributed this accumulation to the cancellation of rest days during the summer period, citing reasons of disorder and riots. Andy Symonds, who chairs the Norfolk Police Federation, urged Norfolk Police to guarantee the “swift” re-rostering of these rest days. The force, in its reply, indicated that it is collaborating with staff networks to support and safeguard the wellbeing of all its personnel, including officers and staff. Rest days, generally corresponding to an eight-hour shift, can be cancelled due to an “exigency of the service” when unavoidable. However, regulations stipulate that these days must be rescheduled within four days of their cancellation. Mr. Symonds commented, “We’ve seen a number of officers deployed to police riots this year, so many officers have had their rest days cancelled.” He added that this situation “has been going on for the past few years where we’ve seen quite a number of officers needing their rest days to be re-rostered as a result of demand. “The force often doesn’t have enough officers on duty to police events safely and they have to use officers who are on their rest period.” He noted that detectives and officers in roads and armed policing roles encountered particular difficulty in rescheduling rest days, and that inspectors and chief inspectors were required to utilize these days within 12 months before their expiration. He warned that the failure to take allocated rest days could result in burnout and “exacerbated” mental health conditions. A spokesperson for Norfolk Police stated: “As a force, we are incredibly grateful for all the work our officers have done and continue to do, to help the country through a difficult period.” The spokesperson continued, “It is imperative that officers are able to rest and recuperate. We are working with the Police Federation to ensure that this happens. “This includes the extension of the policy for taking accrued rest days.” The statement concluded, “We will continue to work with staff support networks, such as the Police Federation, to support and look after the wellbeing of all our officers and staff.”