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Police service information

Editor's message: One of the many challenges that the police service presents to HR is around recruitment and ensuring that the service reflects the gender and racial composition of the communities that it serves. It is well documented that the number of police officers from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background does not reflect this population as a whole and the shortage of female police officers from such a background is a particular problem.

While positive discrimination is often discussed as a method of boosting diversity police employers must be aware of the limits of positive action under the Equality Act 2010, which have been highlighted by case law (including Furlong v Chief Constable of Cheshire Police).

New and updated

  • Type:
    Employment law cases

    Supreme Court rules on historic holiday pay claims

    In Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and another v Agnew, the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal's decision that police officers and civilian police support staff in Northern Ireland can recover holiday underpayments that stretch back as far as 1998.

  • Type:
    Survey analysis

    Pay awards: Public safety

    Updated to include the details of six new pay awards across the sector.

  • Date:
    5 February 2021
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    IR35: What does public-sector HR need to know about the April 2021 changes?

    HR professionals in public authorities may think that the extension of IR35 reforms to the private sector in April 2021 will not affect them. However, public-sector bodies need to be aware of, and prepare for, some changes to the rules.

  • Date:
    4 November 2020
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Modern slavery statement changes: What will employers have to do differently?

    The Government has confirmed that it is going ahead with major changes to the duty on large employers to publish an annual modern slavery statement. What changes will employers have to make to the content of, and process for publishing, their statement and which additional employers will be covered?

  • Date:
    2 October 2020
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Police sector: Attracting recruits from different BAME groups

    We look at what police forces are doing to attract recruits from different black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups and consider if positive discrimination is necessary to increase the number of BAME police officers.

  • Date:
    19 May 2020
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Police sector: Returning to duty during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

    We look at how the police service is bringing returners back into its workforce to help support policing needs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

  • Type:
    Employment law cases

    Sex discrimination: Non-payment of allowance during maternity leave was discriminatory

    In Commissioner of the City of London Police v Geldart, the Employment Appeal Tribunal held that a failure to pay a London allowance to a police officer on maternity leave constituted direct sex discrimination and no comparator was required.

  • Date:
    27 November 2019
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Police sector: Shift and night working

    We look at how shift and night working operates in the police sector and some of the initiatives aimed at reducing the potential negative impact of such working patterns.

  • Type:
    Employment law cases

    Sex discrimination: Colour-blind police officer's removal from rapid-response driving

    In Wisbey v Commissioner of the City of London Police and another, an employment tribunal held that a police force indirectly discriminated against a male police officer who was temporarily removed from rapid-response driving duties because he is colour blind.

  • Date:
    8 August 2019
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Holiday pay calculation and back payments

    Consultant editor Darren Newman looks at the latest rulings in a long line of holiday pay cases, including one with significant back-pay implications for Northern Ireland employers. He also explains why the issue of lengthy back-pay periods may not yet be completely resolved for employers in the rest of the UK.

About this topic

HR and legal information, news and guidance relating to employers in the police service.