Worst. Idea. Ever.
The whole reason the Police get overtime, which is nowhere near the level the Daily Mail thinks it is, is to stop the Police being shafted right, left and centre when it comes to shifts being changed to cover things like football matches, demonstrations and VIP visits.
Besides apart from Bank holidays and other rare occurrences OT is payed at time and a third, not exactly a huge incentive and again despite what the Daily Fail claim the Police don't get a couple of hundred quid for answering a phone call on a day off.
These still get covered but it ensures a few weeks warning is given rather than just a blanket email a couple of days in advance saying "BTW any plans you had for the weekend, cancel them"
Of course for major, spontaneous events like 7/7, the Glasgow Airport attacks etc. Cover is still there and that's accepted as part of the unique nature of the job. If the Police get changed to being employees you could get people walking off after their shift ends.
Some things could go. The current 'bonus' system is divisive and could easily be scrapped (and before anyone says that's sour grapes I qualify for it and would happily give it up), the upper levels are pretty top heavy and you could easily lose the entire Chief Superintindent and ACC levels without much fuss.
---------- Post added at 07:28 ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 ----------
I was just reading the Daily Mails predictable anti Police scribblings about this. They've got a list of what and when the Police can claim in overtime.
They haven't done too badly. Out the 6 items in the list they only have 3 wrong.
