Page 22 - WMPF Federation OCT-NOV 2019-flip_Neat

Leavers’ survey

Low morale, stress

and demand

taking their toll

ow morale, stress and soaring demand said: “These findings do not surprise me at something policing should be ashamed of.
are the main factors behind officers all. This is yet more evidence, if it were The apparent lack of willingness to fight to Job security was the factor respondents
Lresigning from the police service, a needed, to prove to the Government and retain our most experienced officers is were most satisfied with (79 per cent) while PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT TREATMENT OF OFFICERS
Federation survey has revealed. chief constables that my colleagues are at simply inexcusable and more must be done opportunity for career advancement was the Respondents were most likely to feel the The treatment of officers had a mixed effect
More than half of respondents (51 per breaking point – or are unfortunately to ensure we look after our people.” factor they were least likely to say they were police service is obligated to a large on respondents’ decisions to leave.
cent) who took part in the rolling survey already broken - and have been driven to However, the survey’s finding also satisfied with (27 per cent). extent to provide them with necessary Under half (44 per cent) of respondents
between October 2017 and April 2019 said leave the service due to low morale, stress showed eight out of 10 were leaving policing The national chair added: “With the training to do the job well (84 per cent). said how the police are treated as a whole
their morale had a large part to play in their and soaring demand. because they had reached pension age with Government’s recruitment plans underway However only 18 per cent of respondents had a major effect on their decision to leave.
decision to leave the service. “The service has been cut to the bone having access to their pension (63 per cent) to bring the number of officers back up to said it had met this obligation. However, respondents who had not reached
“Sadly, we have also noticed something since 2010 with 22,000 fewer officers to and length of service (54 per cent) cited as how it almost was before, it will hopefully, l Three quarters of respondents felt pension age were more likely say how the
of a spike in resignations recently and there protect the public, leaving our dedicated their reasons for retiring. and eventually, lighten the load, however, the police service was obligated to a police were treated affected their decision to
are still more people leaving the service than members with little option but to operate in Two thirds (66 per cent) said they would this will take many years. large extent to provide them with leave. This proportion was 73 per cent for
joining at the moment so our numbers are a pressure-cooker environment, doing never consider returning to the police service “For now, we need significant, centrally- fair pay for the responsibilities of respondents with 11 - 20 years’ service and
still going down,” says Steve Grange, double the workload – now more likely while just under a third (30 per cent) said a funded investment to look after the officers their job, however, only three per 57 per cent for respondents with fewer than
secretary of West Midlands Police Federation. single-crewed - with cancelled rest days and better work-life balance would make them we have so they have access to essential, cent of respondents felt it had met 10 years in service. This is compared to 48
The Police Federation of England and holidays. reconsider their decision to leave with protective equipment such as Taser and so this obligation. per cent of respondents with between 21
Wales survey also revealed: “Police officers are not robots, they are around a quarter saying improvements to forces can provide better, consistent and l 79 per cent of respondents felt the and 25 years in service and 35 per cent of
l 40 per cent of leavers said stress was one human beings. They are exhausted and welfare and a lower workload would cause more meaningful welfare support. The police service was obligated to a respondents with 26 years or more in
of the contributory reasons in their consistently exposed to things people them to have a re-think. Government has also pledged to introduce a large extent to ensure there were service.
decision to leave should never have to see with a large Almost three quarters (71 per cent) of Police Covenant which would enshrine the enough officers in their team to do In addition, 39 per cent of respondents
l 41 per cent said their psychological proportion also leaving because of the toll those who completed the survey said welfare of officers in law and would have a their job properly, just four per cent said that how change is managed within
health was a driving factor, and taken on their psychological health. interesting and varied work had a big hugely positive impact on our members reported this obligation had been the police had a major effect on their
l 39 per cent reported their physical “Our members who have served 10 to 20 influence on their motivation to join with 75 which is good news. met. decision to leave. Further, 29 and 27 per cent
health contributed. years were more likely to leave due to poor per cent saying they were satisfied with how “I always hear chiefs and politicians of respondents, respectively, said the
John Apter, national Federation chair, psychological and physical health which is interesting and varied their work had been. saying police service’s most valuable support they received from their senior
resource is its people – well, now it’s time for PENSIONS leadership and the fairness of the rewards
them to deliver and prove it.” Overall 25 per cent of respondents said they received for their work had a major
Reasons related to welfare having a major effect on respondents’ decision to leave The survey was launched to gain an changes to police pensions pension had effect on their decision to leave.
insight in to officers’ reasons for leaving the a major effect on their decision to leave, This compares with 24 per cent of
police service and aims to identify whether with 22 per cent saying that how these respondents saying fairness of the policies
51%
officers are gaining what they want to from changes have been implemented had a and procedures that affect their work had a
their career within the police. Therefore, the major effect on their decision to leave. major effect on their decision to leave, and
findings from this survey, for the first time, This may be because currently most only 13 per cent of respondents saying the
42%
40% 41% 41% 39% provide information regarding attitudes and leavers’ survey respondents will not have treatment they receive compared to their
expectations of those leaving the police transferred into the CARE scheme and colleagues had a major effect on their
service across England and Wales decision to leave.
32% will remain within a final salary pension
The findings are based on the current scheme. Similarly, only 12 per cent of
total of 1,022 respondents to the rolling However, pension changes were respondents said the support they received
leavers’ survey during the 18-month period more likely to have an impact on the from their line manager had a major effect
between October 2017 and April 2019. decision to leave among respondents on their decision to leave and just two per
The PFEW Leavers’ Survey opened on 25 who had less service within the police. cent of respondents said their relationship
October 2017 and there is no designated For example, 43 per cent of respondents with their colleagues had a major impact on
closing date. with between 11 and 20 years’ service their decision to leave.
The survey is open to any officer who is said pension changes had a major This suggests that respondents’
leaving within the next three months, impact on their decision to leave and 39 treatment and workplace relationships had
Stress of Morale Private life Job Impact on Impact on Impact on including those who are retiring, resigning less of an impact on their decision to leave
the job restrictions satisfaction family/ psychological physical or being required to leave by their force. per cent said how pension changes were compared to other reasons addressed
personal life health health implemented had a major effect on their
Read the full report. decision to leave. within the survey.

22 federation October/November 2019 www.polfed.org/westmids www.polfed.org/westmids federation October/November 2019 23