FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. WHAT SUBSISTENCE CAN I CLAIM ?
2. WHAT ENTITLEMENT DO I HAVE TO TRAVELLING TIME WHEN ON INCIDENTS, ETC ?
3. WHEN CAN I CLAIM TRAVELLING EXPENSES ?
4. WHAT IS THE CURRENT ENTITLEMENT TO MATERNITY SUPPORT LEAVE ?
5. CAN I BE INSTRUCTED TO WORK OVERTIME ?
6. CAN MY DUTY ROSTER BE CHANGED AT SHORT NOTICE ?
7. WHAT TIME DOES THE WORKING DAY START ?
8. DOES THE FREE HALF HOUR ALSO APPLY TO OVERTIME WORKED FOR 'TIME OFF' ?
9. WHAT CAN I CLAIM IF I AM REQUIRED TO WORK ON A BANK HOLIDAY ?
10. WHAT HAPPENS IF MY ANNUAL LEAVE IS CANCELLED ?
11. WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY BRING ME BACK ON DUTY EARLY WHEN HAVE ALREADY WORKED ON THAT DAY ?
12. WHAT OVERTIME DO I GET FOR A REQUIREMENT TO WORK ON A REST DAY ?
14. WHAT HAPPENS IF I WORK OVERTIME AFTER A NIGHTSHIFT ?
15. WHAT CAN I CLAIM IF I GET A TELEPHONE CALL AT HOME WHILST OFF DUTY?
16. I AM AN INSPECTOR AND DO NOT HAVE A DUTY ROSTER PUBLISHED. IS THIS RIGHT ?
17. I WANT TO WORK PART-TIME. CAN I CHOOSE THE HOURS I WORK ?
18. CAN I BE FORCED TO TAKE 'TIME-OFF' FROM MY WHITE CARD ?
1. WHAT SUBSISTENCE CAN I CLAIM ?
Since 1st April 2003 subsistence has now gone and therefore if you are going on overnight stays then you are only entitled to reclaim necessary and reasonable expences, i.e. your meals and accommodation costs.
It may be better to go there and back in one day !!
2. WHAT ENTITLEMENT DO I HAVE TO TRAVELLING TIME WHEN ON INCIDENTS, ETC ?
When temporarily transferred to other than you usual place of duty, on incidents, etc, then you are entitled to claim the excess travelling time as overtime. This is because you commence and finish duty at your home address and must be shown as such in your PB. The excess is over and above your normal travelling time between your home address to UPD. This continues for as long as you are working at the other place and does not stop after 56 days as with travelling expences. (Force Policy)
3. WHEN CAN I CLAIM TRAVELLING EXPENSES ?
Travelling expences, when working away from UPD, can be claimed for 56 days. The mileage that can be claimed is the excess of your normal mileage from home address to UPD, i.e. knock off your normal mileage and claim the remainder.
There is an exception, which is if working on rest days or public holidays, all the mileage can be claimed unless the day is also reallocated. (Force Policy)
4. WHAT IS THE CURRENT ENTITLEMENT TO MATERNITY SUPPORT LEAVE ?
A person who is a child's father, or the partner of the child's mother is now entitled to Maternity Support Leave (previously Paternity Leave). It is 2 weeks duration and is taken at, or around the time of the child's birth.
The first week is paid at full pay and the next week at the same rate as Statutory Maternity Pay (about £104).
This must be taken in blocks of at least one week.
5. CAN I BE INSTRUCTED TO WORK OVERTIME ?
Yes. Being told to work overtime is a lawful order. However, if you are directed to work overtime then you are entitled to decide whether you receive payment of time off in lieu !!
6. CAN MY DUTY ROSTER BE CHANGED AT SHORT NOTICE ?
An annual duty roster can be altered but any change must arise from 'exigencies of duty', unless they are made at the officer's own request or have otherwise been agreed with the Federation. West Yorkshire now has a 3-month roster as allowed by the Police Regs and this is a rolling period. The duties must be published one month in advance and therefore in reality you should be aware of your duties for the next four months.
7. WHAT TIME DOES THE WORKING DAY START ?
The working day commences at 07.00 hrs for all officers.
8. DOES THE FREE HALF HOUR ALSO APPLY TO OVERTIME WORKED FOR 'TIME OFF' ?
Yes. The new Regulations state that the half-hour that was deducted from casual overtime claimed for payment now also applies to overtime claimed for time.
9. WHAT CAN I CLAIM IF I AM REQUIRED TO WORK ON A BANK HOLIDAY ?
Public holiday overtime is paid at double time BUT if you are required to work on a public holiday with less than 8 days notice then you are entitled to double time AND a day off in lieu. (Police Regs)
10. WHAT HAPPENS IF MY ANNUAL LEAVE IS CANCELLED ?
If recalled to duty from a period of annual leave the following applies
- For the first 2 days, then you can claim double time and a day off in lieu
- For any days after this then you can claim time and a half plus a day off in lieu However, this only applies to periods of annual leave consisting of 3 or more days, but this can include rest days, VRLs and public holidays if tacked on to an annual leave period.
There is a local agreement that if the period of annual leave is less than 3 days then you will be compensated with one and a half days for each day lost.
11. WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY BRING ME BACK ON DUTY EARLY WHEN HAVE ALREADY WORKED ON THAT DAY ?
If you are brought back on to work an 'island tour' (one tour between two tours of duty) then this is a 'recall to duty'. For that you are entitled to a minimum of 4 hours overtime (at the relevant rate) and up to 1½ hours travelling time.
If the start time of your tour of duty, on a specific day is brought forward, without 'due notice' (less than 8 hours of the new start time), and you have already completed a full tour of duty on that date, then you are entitled to claim overtime for this period (This not classed as a 'recall to duty').
The new starting time also becomes part of that tour of duty and any further overtime that is worked at the end of the tour of duty could also be claimed as overtime. In other words you can claim overtime at each end of the tour of duty.
Although Regulations stipulate 8 hours the Force recommend that this should be no later than the end of the shift preceding the one that is to be brought forward Remember though, changes to rostered tours of duty cannot be made on purely financial grounds.
12. WHAT OVERTIME DO I GET FOR A REQUIREMENT TO WORK ON A REST DAY ?
Rest day working now attracts the following rates
- Less than 5 days notice..............double time
- Less than 15 days notice............time and a half Remember though that the day you are warned and the day you are required to work don't count. That is the above shown notice relates to clear days.
You must remember that there is no such thing as 'voluntary overtime'. If the management request 'volunteers' to work then you are being seen as being directed to work and the above rates of compensation apply. It must be noted that this also means that if you were warned to perform duty (for example at 'Special Duty') and do not turn up for work then this would be a disciplinary offence !
13. CAN I STILL WORK IF MY REST DAY HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND I AM THEN TOLD THAT I AM NOT REQUIRED TO WORK ON THAT DAY ?
If you are required to work on a rest day or public holiday and then subsequently cancelled, then the following applies - If you are given less than 8 days notice that you are no longer required to work, then it is your decision as whether you still work or not.
You should work the duty you have been rostered to work for that day.
14. WHAT HAPPENS IF I WORK OVERTIME AFTER A NIGHTSHIFT ?
This depends?..After nights, your rest day starts at 12 noon and therefore you would not get rest day rates of overtime until after that time.
The exception to this is, if the police day following nights is a public holiday, you would go onto double time at 0700 hrs. This is because, by agreement with the Force and the Federation, the police day on a public holiday always starts and finishes at 0700 hrs.
15. WHAT CAN I CLAIM IF I GET A TELEPHONE CALL AT HOME WHILST OFF DUTY?
Answering a telephone call at home does not generally constitute a 'recall to duty' and does not attract the minimum four hours overtime as provided by regilations.
However, if an officer receives a call that requires necessary action or duty to be performed, then this may be a recall and attract the overtime payment.
16. I AM AN INSPECTOR AND DO NOT HAVE A DUTY ROSTER PUBLISHED. IS THIS RIGHT ?
Yes. Police Regulations do not require rosters to be published for Inspectors or Chief Inspectors but Home Office Circular 21/97 states that inspectors and chief inspectors, no less than other members,need to be able to plan for work, personal and familt commitments. Therefore, it is important that you should be given reasonable notice of when you will be required to be on duty.
17. I WANT TO WORK PART-TIME. CAN I CHOOSE THE HOURS I WORK ?
Not necessarily. If you want to become a part-time worker then you must approach your division and request part-time hours. Negotiation should then take place involving you and your divisional personnel officer as to what hours would be suitable for you and the Force.
However, once the 'determined hours' are agreed then they can only be changed with both parties agreement.
(Force Policy on Part-time Working can be found on the Intranet Policy Database)
18. CAN I BE FORCED TO TAKE 'TIME-OFF' FROM MY WHITE CARD ?
The simple answer is NO. Police Regulations state that the choice of compensation claimed for working overtime rests with the officer. If compensation is claimed by way of 'time-off in lieu' and this time is not granted within three months then this should automatically be paid into your salary. In other words, if you are being told to take the time off, and you do not wish to to take it then ask for the time on your card to be paid instead !!
If you want to know more, then the Police Regulations 2003 and Determinations are on this website or the Federation Site on the Force Intranet, or alternatively, contact your Federation Representative.