Are you happy with police pay, pensions and morale?
POLICE officers are being asked about their morale and if they are happy with their pay, pensions, training, working hours and the way they are treated by managers in a new survey.
The Police Federation of England and Wales has launched an online questionnaire on officer pay, conditions and morale to use in future discussions with the soon to be established Police Remuneration Review Body.
According to the national Fed, the survey “will give officers the opportunity to provide robust evidence and directly help influence discussions around issues such as pay.”
Addressing officers, Ian Rennie, general secretary of the Police Federation, said: “The results from this survey will provide me and my team with the critical evidence to argue your case to those that make pay decisions, and to influence change.”
The survey – on the Fed website – asks officers about promotions, qualifications, salary, allowances [such as on call and regional] and whether they receive Competency Related Threshold Payments or used to received Special Priority Payments.
It also asks them about which pension scheme they are on and whether they intend to work in the police service until they receive that pension – or if they think they will leave the job before that.
On morale, officers are asked a series of questions about whether recent changes to their pay and conditions of service – such as the removal of CRTP and SPPs, direct entry to senior ranks, annual fitness testing and the police officer pension/retirement age increasing – has reduced or improved it.
It also asks whether officers are satisfied or dissatisfied with pay, pensions, training, working hours and the way they are treated by managers and whether their workloads have increased or decreased.
Officers are also asked to rate their own morale – and that of the entire service – from high to low.
Mr Rennie added: “The more people that complete this questionnaire the more strength it will give us to keep people at the highest levels of policing informed of your point of view.
“Please take the time to complete the survey so that I can be in a position to represent you as you would wish.”
Under recommendations made in the Winsor review and subject to parliament’s approval, a new Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) will be set up which could replace the current Police Negotiating Board and would form the basis of
discussions on pay issues from the rank of constable to chief superintendents.
Mr Rennie said the Federation want to ensure constructive dialogue continues but appealed directly to officers to have their say and help the Federation’s research team provide evidence on officers’ views to the potential new pay body.
You can see the survey here