Rest days need to be taken for officer health

Not being able to take rest days is having a negative impact on officer health.

Across the UK officers were owed 250,000 rest days as of October last year according to PFEW figures.

In South Yorkshire 2,252 rest days had not been taken.

Police Federations believe a fall in officer numbers is partly to blame for the backlog.

And South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Zuleika Payne says officers are increasingly having to work longer hours to plug the gaps.

“What’s happening is that more and more officers are having their weekly leave days cancelled to police football matches and demonstrations etc.

“But because of austerity and having to balance the books rest days are being cancelled to be re-rostered thus avoiding the payment of overtime where possible.

“Because there are so few officers it’s increasingly difficult to find the time to have that rest day re-rostered meaning officers are not getting the time off they are owed,” she added.

“That’s impacting on the health and wellbeing of officers, they are just not getting the days off they need to rest and recoup, officers need work life balance.

“Officers are reluctant to have sickness absence, concerned that the work has to be absorbed by others, leading to more cancelled rest days – it’s a vicious circle which has to be tackled for the sake of officers’ health,” she added.