Frequently Asked Questions
WAs part of my role I'm being required to work away from my normal parade station. Can the force do this on a regular basis and what are my rights?
Yes the force can require you to work away from your normal place of duty.
Under regulation 22 police regulations & determinations when you are working at a place other than your normal parade station then travel time has to be included into the working time. You can claim travel expenses for any excess of travel beyond your normal parade station.
Under the workforce agreement made between the Chief Officer and police federation. It clearly defines that travel time is to be included as working time when travelling on the Chief Officers instruction between home and place of duty, not being the member's usual place of duty, at any time other than the rostered starting or finishing time for the day which also complies with police regulations & determinations.
In respect of officers finishing early or starting late from their scheduled tour of duty this does occur as the LPU do not want to pay out overtime for travelling to and from work, but the regulation does state " time spent in travel outside of rostered duty hours" which does suggest that officers are expected to work their rostered shift and anything additional having been added to the working time would be overtime.
REGULATION 22 ANNEX E REFERS
Duty 22. - (1) The Secretary of State shall determine -
(e) the circumstances in which travelling time may be treated as duty
(3) In making a determination under paragraph (1)(e) the Secretary of State may -
(a) confer on the chief officer discretion to fix a limit on the travelling time which is to be treated as duty; (Limited to 1 hour for West Midlands)
ANNEX E DETERMINATION FOR REGULATION 22
9) WORKING TIME
The following periods are to be treated as if they were additional periods of working time for the purposes of regulation 2(1) of the Working Time Regulations 1998;
a) time spent in travel, outside of rostered duty hours and not covered by paragraph 5 of this Annex, to and from duty at a place other than the normal place of duty;
West Midlands Police policy A6, paragraph 7 Special Journeys.
Parade other than normal parade station. Journeys necessitated by a requirement to parade elsewhere than at the officers normal place of duty, in which case payment will be made for any additional travel costs involved. In this context 'additional' is to be interpreted as the difference between the officers cost of travel to his/her normal place of duty and the cost of travel to the temporary place of duty.
Travel time in the West Midlands is set by the Chief Constable and is 1 hour. Within police regulations when you are working away from your normal place of duty, travel time has to be included as additional working time. Therefore, regardless of your tour of duty you are rostered to work you are able to incorporate an hours travelling time and any extra hours worked is overtime.
1st Example - you work 7 hours plus 1 hours travel (for a scheduled 8 hour day), any extra work over and above 7 hours is overtime.
2nd Example - you work 8 hours plus 1 hours travel (for a scheduled 9 hour day), any extra work over and above 8 hours is overtime.
