Police staff in England, Scotland and Wales are unhappy with their pay and often unhappy in their work, according to research by trade union Unison.
Its 2024 Unison police staff pay and morale survey, which surveyed police staff members in the three nations about their pay and morale, also found that 64% of respondents said morale in their force is either low or very low, and 30% found their jobs either very or extremely stressful.
Two-fifths (42%) said they found it difficult to carry out work tasks because they have been too fatigued, and 58% have felt so fatigued that it has interfered with their family or social life. Just under three-quarters (70%) have gone to work in the past 12 months when they should not have due to their physical health.
Three-quarters (75%) said their pay has not maintained their living standards, 63% feel worse off than they did five years ago, and 35% felt pressured to work long hours, with 11% saying this happens often or always.
A fifth are either intending to leave policing in the next two years or are actively looking for a new job. While 60% said they are proud to work for the police, only 23% feel valued at work.
A Unison spokesperson said: “We want to see an action plan emerging from these survey results, which would see police leaders take stock of our survey results and respond to the findings, the Police Reform agenda ensuring that the role and function of police staff is acknowledged, valued and positive changes introduced to improve our members’ working lives, and police staff feeling that the government supports them in their work.
“It would also include parity of esteem for police staff in the overall police workforce, our members’ pay restored to the purchasing power it had 10 years ago, and a new police service workforce strategy, which puts police staff on an equal footing with police officers in the planning for the future of policing.”
