Police officers: Are you “Doing it Right” on Regulations?

OFFICERS are being encouraged to stop working for free outside of their duty hours as part of the ongoing Police Regulations “Do it Right” campaign.

The rank and file are being urged to stand up for their rights in a campaign that has been described as “not working to rule but working to the rules”. The campaign – begun by the Met Police Federation – is being supported by South Yorkshire Police Federation.

Federations across the country have been urging their members to “challenge” instructions that contradict Police Regulations, which includes carrying out unpaid work before and after their duty hours.

The Federation said officers often feel they have to accept their managers’ interpretation of regulations and, on some occasions, accept the “blatant disregard” of policies and procedures because they “fear various forms of management if they ask for their entitlements”.

The “Do it Right” campaign initially launched in April 2012 in a bid to help officers understand their rights and ensure that managers adhere to them.

Guidance on areas such as cancellation of rest days, vehicle safety inspections and taking radios home have been circulated. Other information has included overtime and use of dependents’ days.

“People should be paid for the hours they have worked,” said a Federation spokesman.

“With the realisation of cuts, more and more people are being asked to work in environments that are below strength with fewer supervisors, fewer buildings and fewer staff.

“It is not sustainable for officers to work extra hours that they are not being paid for. Now is the time for officers to stick up for their rights – otherwise they risk creating a culture of ‘work for no pay’ and people will start to break.”

The Federation acknowledged there will be emergency situations, known as “exigencies”, which override any consideration of officers’ rights and entitlements, but added that “all too often situations are being classified as an exigency when they are no such thing”.

“Every crime report is ‘urgent’, every call ‘an emergency’, every target ‘an essential’. Well we all know that this simply isn’t true and it is this culture which unfairly erodes your entitlements,” said the Federation in a statement.