Police Federation members urged to take part in the PFEW Pay and Morale Survey

POLICE Federation members are being asked to take part in the annual police officer Pay and Morale Survey.

The data the Federation collects is of critical importance because it underpins the PFEW’s submission to the independent Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB).

This helps the Federation to evidence the need for an uplift in police officer pay, and changes to working conditions.

Garry Smith, Secretary of Hampshire Police Federation, said: “The data collated assists us here in Hampshire fighting for a pay increase under the regional allowance umbrella and building a picture around retention issues, ever more important with the recent pay award seeing a potential increase to the London weighting and so potentially attractive for officers to go and work in the city.

“In addition this data assists when as a region we have a collective voice in the national submissions to the PRRB and so Chair Zoe Wakefield and I ask our members here in Hampshire to use their voice, complete the survey and our strength is in the number of surveys completed so please complete the survey and help us to help you.”

National Secretary Alex Duncan said: “The Federation needs hard evidence to support any argument we make for an increase in pay or allowances. That evidence comes primarily from this survey and it also enables Branches to make the case for changes to working conditions when they are meeting with their Chief Constable or MPs.

“A poor return undermines the credibility of our research. So, my message to members is a simple one – help us to help you. If you care about your pay and conditions, then completing the survey will be time well spent.”

Earlier this month, the Home Secretary accepted the PRRB’s recommendations (based on submissions from the Federation and other stakeholders last year) resulting in a 2.5% pay increase for all police officers from 1 September 2020.

Government also agreed to scrap the lowest pay point in the sergeants’ scale, which the Federation successfully argued was deterring officers from seeking promotion. This is because there was no clear water between the starting salary for a sergeant and those at the top of the constables pay scale.

Mr Duncan added: “All pay consultations rely on evidence to back up the claims. Nobody likes paying more for something than they have to; our job is to persuade Government, through the PRRB, that they have put more money into policing, and the only way to do that is with credible datasets and officers playing that part by completing the survey. If you don’t give us the evidence, it certainly isn’t going to improve our chance of getting a better deal for you.”

Findings from the 2019 pay and morale survey revealed that only 36% of respondents had enough money to cover their monthly essentials. One in eight officers admitted to seeking financial support to cover day to day expenses. Out of the 19,654 respondents last year, almost 75% said they felt worse off financially than they were five years ago.