Forces urged to copy Northamptonshire Police on overtime pay decision

The ‘half hour for the King’ – where officers work extra time at the end of their shift – should be paid as planned overtime, and a refusal to do this would be “a kick in the teeth”, the Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation has said.

Mike Peake was speaking after Northamptonshire Police decided to change the way it applies the so-called ‘half hour for the King’ – the long-standing expectation that officers would routinely give extra time at the end of their shifts.

Officers have actually been paid for this half hour since 1994, when the Federation successfully challenged its non-payment. All PCs and Sergeants now get an extra payment of around £450 a year, pensionable, to reflect this.

However, demand is now so consistently high that officers are having to plan for extended shifts. Northamptonshire’s Chief Constable has argued this means the time counts as ‘planned overtime’, and should be paid in addition to the allowance.

Mike said: “Following the recent decision taken by Northamptonshire Police’s Chief Constable to amend the way in which the ‘half hour for the King’ is applied, I have written to GMP’s Chief Constable, urging him to follow suit.

“Despite a significant improvement in the performance of GMP, our hard-working officers are still making tremendous efforts and I am concerned about the sustainability of the situation. Mental health-related sickness absence has increased yet again over the past 12 months, and officers feel overworked.

“Removing the ‘half an hour for the King’ and treating the first half hour when an officer stays on beyond their rostered finishing time as planned overtime would go a long way towards officers feeling valued. A refusal to do this would be a real kick in the teeth.”

Mike added: “Officers in GMP deserve better recognition for the constant work pressures and additional hours that the current demand in a force the size of ours brings.”

PFEW National Secretary John Partington said: “Northants Police have done the right thing by recognising that relentless demand cannot just be absorbed and that officers must be properly compensated and the sacrifice of their time recognised. We accept the strong case that government needs to fund policing properly, but if Northants can do it, every other force can too.”

Northamptonshire Police Federation Chair Sam Dobbs said: “Police officers serve with pride, dedication and bravery but they cannot be expected to shoulder today’s relentless demand without proper recognition. Chief Constable Balhatchet’s decision ensures that when officers work beyond their shifts, that time is properly treated as planned overtime. It’s a fairer approach that values officers’ time and wellbeing, and it sends a clear message: the pressures breaking policing must be acknowledged and addressed. We’ve lobbied on this issue for some time and now it’s time for every force to follow Northamptonshire’s lead.”