Public Duties policy (PS 159)
1. Aims and objectives of the policy
Nottinghamshire Police and the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner (OPCC) recognises that individuals may wish to participate in public or civic duties. Nottinghamshire Police and the OPCC has an obligation to allow reasonable time off to participate in public or civic duties. This support supports our commitment to earn the trust and confidence of our communities and developing a workforce fit for the future.
This policy and its supporting procedure clarify the circumstances under which individuals may request leave for public duties and the framework against which the Force and OPCC will deal with such requests with a transparent, equitable, fair and consistent approach.
This policy is applicable to:
- All police officers of Nottinghamshire Police, up to and including the rank of Chief Superintendent and those who are yet to complete their probation
- All police staff and staff of the OPCC
There are some differences between police officer and police staff and staff of the OPCC’s entitlements, where this is applicable it will be clarified.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Public Duties Procedure,
- To provide clarification to all police officers and police staff with regard to reasonable time off for public and civic duties
- To ensure that Nottinghamshire Police and the NOPCC provide a consistent and reasonable approach to authorising time off for public or civic duties
The key principles underpinning the policy are as follows
2. Key principles
- Nottinghamshire Police and the OPCC is committed to developing and maintaining a culture of partnership and mutual trust in which individuals are supported in achieving an effective work life balance
- Reasonable time off should be based upon: the nature of the duties, the time required to carry them out, the amount of time the individual has already had off for public duties and the impact on the organisation
- Requests for public duties leave will be considered on a case-by-case basis in a fair, transparent and equitable way reflective of recognised equality and diversity best practice
- A request may be refused if it is considered unreasonable or if it would unreasonably impact on the service
- Applications for unpaid additional leave will not be denied unreasonably
- All references to hours or days in the policy and procedure should be pro rata for police officers or police staff or staff of the OPCC who work less than full time hours. (A day for police officers is 8 hours, a day for police staff or staff of the OPCC equates to 7.4 hours for full time personnel)
3. Policy statement
Individuals may have a reasonable amount of paid or unpaid time off as applicable if they are:
- A magistrate
- A local councilor
- A school governor
- A member of any statutory tribunal
- A member of the managing or governing body of an educational establishment
- A member of a health authority
- A member of the General Teaching Councils for England and Wales
- A member of the Environmental Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection agency
- A member of the prison independent monitoring boards (England or Wales) or a member of the prison visiting committees (Scotland)
- A member of Scottish Water or a Water Customer Consultation Panel
4. Jury Service
Individuals who are required to attend jury service will, subject to organisational requirements
be permitted to take jury service leave.
Whilst on jury service individual’s salary will not be affected and there will be no impact on individual’s pension contributions. Individuals can claim childcare, cost of travel to and from court and food and drink directly from the court. Please see https://www.gov.uk/jury-service for more information.
If on any day, or any part of the day, attendance is not required at Court, officers, staff, staff of the OPCC are expected to attend work as normal.
Exceptionally staff may have a personal reason to defer their jury service. Postponements are not granted lightly by the Courts (an example might be scheduled surgery/treatment or an exam). Staff must be able to demonstrate that they are unable to attend and be able to provide full evidence to allow the Court to make a decision.
5. Magistrates Duty
Leave may be granted, at the discretion of the line manager and is subject to the exigencies of the service, up to a maximum of 13 days paid leave in any 12-month period. This may be in full or half days. Any further leave would be unpaid. Police officers may not serve as Magistrates.
6. School Governors
Individuals who serve as school governors are eligible for up to 20 hours paid leave in any one financial year (1 April – 31 March) for the purpose of attending school governor meetings, inspections or training in relation to their duties, if required to attend in ‘core business hours’. Any further time off required would be unpaid.
7. Public Service
Other public duties are granted a maximum of 12 days paid leave unless payment is received from the Public Body in which case the time off will be unpaid. Clarification on whether specific public duties are recognised may be sought from People Services.
8. Volunteer Reservists / Military Cadet Organisations
This applies to volunteers to the Armed Forces and to officers who joined the Force with a military liability due to previous military service with the Armed Forces. This only applies to police officers and police staff seeking to serve with HM Forces, it does not relate to those seeking to serve in such a capacity for the armed forces of another nation. In such cases the individual would resign from Nottinghamshire Police or the OPCC. Exceptional cases should be referred to the Head of People Services and Organisational Development.
For individuals who commenced with Nottinghamshire Police after January 2004 who are, or who becomes, a Volunteer Reservist (VR), 5 days paid leave of absence in a financial year will be granted to undertake reservist training. The timing must be agreed with the line manager.
Individuals are entitled to 10 days paid leave of absence in a financial year will be granted to undertake reservist training.
Individuals who are volunteer leaders in Military Cadet Organisations are entitled to 6 days paid leave in a financial year to attend annual training camps and courses.
The timing to undertake reservist training/military cadet organisation training must be agreed with the line manager.
Individual’s mobilised for reservist duties or Military cadet training exercises over and above the 10 days for reservists or 6 days for Military cadet training will be granted unpaid time off. Whilst on reservist duties there is no effect on continuous service rights to incremental pay or additional holiday entitlement. Any unpaid time off affects annual leave, increments and pension entitlements.
Should a reservist be called up for operational tours for up to 12 months, at least four weeks’ notice of the date they are required to attend should be given, where possible.
Leave for operational tours and voluntary mobilisation will normally be approved, but not paid. The period of miliary service is reckonable for pay purposes (See note below re ‘hostile powers and National Service). It is not reckonable for pension purposes. Annual leave is not accrued whilst on reservist duties and individuals are encouraged to take annual leave before mobilisation. For more information on mobilisation, can be found on the Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reservist-employers-toolkit/reservist-employer-toolkit and individuals should contact their People Services Advisor for guidance.
Leave for operational tours and voluntary mobilisation will normally be approved unless the mobilisation is considered to be hostile to UK interests. The mobilisation will not apply to an individual seeking leave to serve in forces of a hostile power. A hostile power will include but is not limited to any foreign state at war with the UK or at war with any foreign state at peace with the UK or any nation occupied by a hostile force, and subjected, during its occupation, to control of the hostile power.
9. National Service in Home Country
The rules documented above will not apply to individuals who elect to conduct national service in their home countries.
Officers can request permission to complete National Service for their home country or can make an application for unpaid leave or a career break from their force. If permission is granted, the period of absence will be unpaid and the absence will not be reckonable for pay or pensions purposes.
10. Attendance as a witness
Time off with pay will be granted to attend court as a witness for the Crown, Police or defence provided that documentary proof of attendance and as much notice as possible is provided to the line manager.
Time off for individuals to attend to matters in a civil court will be unpaid, unless annual leave, time off in lieu or flexi time is approved by the line manager. Police officers required to give evidence in civil proceedings connected to police investigations will be classed as duty time.
11.Electioneering
Members of police staff may take part in electioneering for the day of the election in their free time, as long as they do not occupy a politically restricted role, or are campaigning for one of the prescribed political parties/organisations.
12. Monitoring and Review
This policy will be monitored on a regular basis to consider any impact on different groups, the organisation and service delivery.
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PS 159:
Public Duties Policy
Type of Document:
Policy
Version:
1.4
Registered Owner:
Claire Salter
Author/Reviewer:Susan Sullivan
Effective Date:
March 2024
Review Date:
March 2029
Replaces Document (if applicable):
N/A
Linked Documents:
PD 622 Public Duties Procedure
PD 575 Business Interest and Additional Occupation for Police Officer and Staff
PD 110 Discretionary Leave for Police Staff as Special Constables