Complaints of ‘fatigue’ over new shift

11:00am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in Countywide

POLICE Federation bosses say talks will continue with management at Thames Valley Police after shift pattern changes left some officers feeling “fatigued”.

A switch in shift patterns was introduced in January across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire so that each 24-hour response unit would be working at the same time across three counties.

But some officers say the new five-week pattern, which starts with a week of late and night shifts, leads to tiredness. Before the new system was introduced, there were five different shift patterns across the force, and officers worked six days on, then four days off — two early shifts, two late shifts and two night shifts followed by four lieu days.

A survey of about 500 officers, conducted in July and August, shows some officers are unhappy with the new rota.

Federation secretary Andy Viney said: “It’s looking like most officers find the shift pattern increases fatigue, mainly through a week of long hours which upsets the work-life balance.

“We want to look closely at the results of the survey and work with the force to resolve some of the issues.”

Chief Supt Baldwin said: “The new shift pattern is about Thames Valley Police making sure that it has the right number of officers in the right places, in order to protect the public and fight crime.

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“We will monitor it to see if further improvements can be made and this will include consideration of the views.”

Comments (10)

1:14pm Wed 19 Sep 12

xjohnx says...

I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.
I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter. xjohnx

4:32pm Wed 19 Sep 12

ger elttil OX2 0EJ says...

Tell them to try working 5 and a half days a week every week in a factory with one and a half days off, and then see who is fatigued. Six on and four off, that is a luxury than most of us will never see.
Tell them to try working 5 and a half days a week every week in a factory with one and a half days off, and then see who is fatigued. Six on and four off, that is a luxury than most of us will never see. ger elttil OX2 0EJ

5:36pm Wed 19 Sep 12

xjohnx says...

Come on Ian! Tell us what have you got to say about the police being tired?
Come on Ian! Tell us what have you got to say about the police being tired? xjohnx

5:40pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Balders36 says...

xjohnx wrote:
I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.
If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual
[quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.[/p][/quote]If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual Balders36

11:33am Thu 20 Sep 12

xjohnx says...

Balders36 wrote:
xjohnx wrote:
I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.
If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual
Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day.

I assume your a police officer?
[quote][p][bold]Balders36[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.[/p][/quote]If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual[/p][/quote]Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day. I assume your a police officer? xjohnx

9:45pm Thu 20 Sep 12

ger elttil OX2 0EJ says...

xjohnx wrote:
Balders36 wrote:
xjohnx wrote:
I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.
If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual
Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day.

I assume your a police officer?
It does seem that the more the police are investigated, the more that they seem to be like the corrupt 3rd world forces that they have always held up as the opposite to themselves. And Hillsborough is just beyond comment.
[quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Balders36[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.[/p][/quote]If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual[/p][/quote]Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day. I assume your a police officer?[/p][/quote]It does seem that the more the police are investigated, the more that they seem to be like the corrupt 3rd world forces that they have always held up as the opposite to themselves. And Hillsborough is just beyond comment. ger elttil OX2 0EJ

10:34am Fri 21 Sep 12

Jehova says...

ger elttil OX2 0EJ wrote:
xjohnx wrote:
Balders36 wrote:
xjohnx wrote:
I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.
If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual
Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day.

I assume your a police officer?
It does seem that the more the police are investigated, the more that they seem to be like the corrupt 3rd world forces that they have always held up as the opposite to themselves. And Hillsborough is just beyond comment.
'The Police' ... As ridiculous a concept as 'The general public'.

Good and bad will be found in all walks of life. I suggest the reason more incidents of wrong doing have come to light in recent times is more to do with the openness of modern society rather than an institutionally corrupt para-military group. If you spend just a little time researching the topic on which you comment, you will see that serious incidents have fallen consistently over the years.

Complaints may rise but as with any other public service body (see the recent news on complaints against doctors), this is most likely due to better recording of complaints and a simplified complaints process. However, the cynic will always find an alternative view.

Getting back on topic, if you would research the role of a police officer, you will note the job is demanding enough, mentally, emotionally and physically. Comparing the role with that of any other profession, like for like, is not possibly due to the unique nature of the job. If any one wished to better understand, you could arrange to pop along to your local station and ask for a ride along and see for yourself.

As for the 6 on 4 off, this was the 'national model' (many other forces use this system) only worked by Berkshire officers within TVP. The current shifts see officers working up to 7 shifts in a row, finishing at 0700 on the last day and sleeping into the first rest leaving only 3 clear days before commencing a block of earlies.

Front line Police Officers work in excess of 200 hrs over a 5 week period, not including overtime which is (often) unwanted.

This works out to be, over the course of an average year, ten days more work output than the average UK worker (according to the stats of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)).

As I have said to other detractors in the past, none of whom have accepted the challenge: if you're so concerned about the standards of policing, make a difference yourselves and help out - join the Force, or become a Special Constable.
[quote][p][bold]ger elttil OX2 0EJ[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Balders36[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.[/p][/quote]If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual[/p][/quote]Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day. I assume your a police officer?[/p][/quote]It does seem that the more the police are investigated, the more that they seem to be like the corrupt 3rd world forces that they have always held up as the opposite to themselves. And Hillsborough is just beyond comment.[/p][/quote]'The Police' ... As ridiculous a concept as 'The general public'. Good and bad will be found in all walks of life. I suggest the reason more incidents of wrong doing have come to light in recent times is more to do with the openness of modern society rather than an institutionally corrupt para-military group. If you spend just a little time researching the topic on which you comment, you will see that serious incidents have fallen consistently over the years. Complaints may rise but as with any other public service body (see the recent news on complaints against doctors), this is most likely due to better recording of complaints and a simplified complaints process. However, the cynic will always find an alternative view. Getting back on topic, if you would research the role of a police officer, you will note the job is demanding enough, mentally, emotionally and physically. Comparing the role with that of any other profession, like for like, is not possibly due to the unique nature of the job. If any one wished to better understand, you could arrange to pop along to your local station and ask for a ride along and see for yourself. As for the 6 on 4 off, this was the 'national model' (many other forces use this system) only worked by Berkshire officers within TVP. The current shifts see officers working up to 7 shifts in a row, finishing at 0700 on the last day and sleeping into the first rest leaving only 3 clear days before commencing a block of earlies. Front line Police Officers work in excess of 200 hrs over a 5 week period, not including overtime which is (often) unwanted. This works out to be, over the course of an average year, ten days more work output than the average UK worker (according to the stats of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)). As I have said to other detractors in the past, none of whom have accepted the challenge: if you're so concerned about the standards of policing, make a difference yourselves and help out - join the Force, or become a Special Constable. Jehova

4:56pm Fri 21 Sep 12

ger elttil OX2 0EJ says...

Jehova wrote:
ger elttil OX2 0EJ wrote:
xjohnx wrote:
Balders36 wrote:
xjohnx wrote:
I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.
If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual
Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day.

I assume your a police officer?
It does seem that the more the police are investigated, the more that they seem to be like the corrupt 3rd world forces that they have always held up as the opposite to themselves. And Hillsborough is just beyond comment.
'The Police' ... As ridiculous a concept as 'The general public'.

Good and bad will be found in all walks of life. I suggest the reason more incidents of wrong doing have come to light in recent times is more to do with the openness of modern society rather than an institutionally corrupt para-military group. If you spend just a little time researching the topic on which you comment, you will see that serious incidents have fallen consistently over the years.

Complaints may rise but as with any other public service body (see the recent news on complaints against doctors), this is most likely due to better recording of complaints and a simplified complaints process. However, the cynic will always find an alternative view.

Getting back on topic, if you would research the role of a police officer, you will note the job is demanding enough, mentally, emotionally and physically. Comparing the role with that of any other profession, like for like, is not possibly due to the unique nature of the job. If any one wished to better understand, you could arrange to pop along to your local station and ask for a ride along and see for yourself.

As for the 6 on 4 off, this was the 'national model' (many other forces use this system) only worked by Berkshire officers within TVP. The current shifts see officers working up to 7 shifts in a row, finishing at 0700 on the last day and sleeping into the first rest leaving only 3 clear days before commencing a block of earlies.

Front line Police Officers work in excess of 200 hrs over a 5 week period, not including overtime which is (often) unwanted.

This works out to be, over the course of an average year, ten days more work output than the average UK worker (according to the stats of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)).

As I have said to other detractors in the past, none of whom have accepted the challenge: if you're so concerned about the standards of policing, make a difference yourselves and help out - join the Force, or become a Special Constable.
40 hours a week, and you are complaining. Ask a nurse how many hours a week she works to earn 10K less a year.
[quote][p][bold]Jehova[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]ger elttil OX2 0EJ[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Balders36[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]xjohnx[/bold] wrote: I note Ian Tomlinson is staying silent on the matter.[/p][/quote]If that's your attempt at humour then you're a sick individual[/p][/quote]Not sick. Just disgusted with police killings, police lies about football disasters, phone hacking, improper us offo information etc. We hear about it every day. I assume your a police officer?[/p][/quote]It does seem that the more the police are investigated, the more that they seem to be like the corrupt 3rd world forces that they have always held up as the opposite to themselves. And Hillsborough is just beyond comment.[/p][/quote]'The Police' ... As ridiculous a concept as 'The general public'. Good and bad will be found in all walks of life. I suggest the reason more incidents of wrong doing have come to light in recent times is more to do with the openness of modern society rather than an institutionally corrupt para-military group. If you spend just a little time researching the topic on which you comment, you will see that serious incidents have fallen consistently over the years. Complaints may rise but as with any other public service body (see the recent news on complaints against doctors), this is most likely due to better recording of complaints and a simplified complaints process. However, the cynic will always find an alternative view. Getting back on topic, if you would research the role of a police officer, you will note the job is demanding enough, mentally, emotionally and physically. Comparing the role with that of any other profession, like for like, is not possibly due to the unique nature of the job. If any one wished to better understand, you could arrange to pop along to your local station and ask for a ride along and see for yourself. As for the 6 on 4 off, this was the 'national model' (many other forces use this system) only worked by Berkshire officers within TVP. The current shifts see officers working up to 7 shifts in a row, finishing at 0700 on the last day and sleeping into the first rest leaving only 3 clear days before commencing a block of earlies. Front line Police Officers work in excess of 200 hrs over a 5 week period, not including overtime which is (often) unwanted. This works out to be, over the course of an average year, ten days more work output than the average UK worker (according to the stats of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)). As I have said to other detractors in the past, none of whom have accepted the challenge: if you're so concerned about the standards of policing, make a difference yourselves and help out - join the Force, or become a Special Constable.[/p][/quote]40 hours a week, and you are complaining. Ask a nurse how many hours a week she works to earn 10K less a year. ger elttil OX2 0EJ

7:35pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Jehova says...

@ Ger elttil..

Did you deliberately ignore the substance of the post or was it lost on you?

As I said, direct comparisons with other job roles are impossible due to the unique nature of the job.

I'm not going to point out all the differences between nursing and policing, nor am I going to start a bun fight as to pay difference. If you do your own research you may be a little enlightened (perhaps research how many police officers have been injured on duty in the last 12 months).

As for Nurses working hours, trust me I know very well. Generally a 36 hr week with three 12 hr shifts, with one weekend in 4 plus a 40 hr week in every 5.

Of course, I think nurses do 'report' for work sometime before their shift starts so as to ensure efficient handovers of patients. Police officers also generally report for work before their shift starts too. I'm sure fire fighters and paramedics would too.
@ Ger elttil.. Did you deliberately ignore the substance of the post or was it lost on you? As I said, direct comparisons with other job roles are impossible due to the unique nature of the job. I'm not going to point out all the differences between nursing and policing, nor am I going to start a bun fight as to pay difference. If you do your own research you may be a little enlightened (perhaps research how many police officers have been injured on duty in the last 12 months). As for Nurses working hours, trust me I know very well. Generally a 36 hr week with three 12 hr shifts, with one weekend in 4 plus a 40 hr week in every 5. Of course, I think nurses do 'report' for work sometime before their shift starts so as to ensure efficient handovers of patients. Police officers also generally report for work before their shift starts too. I'm sure fire fighters and paramedics would too. Jehova

4:07pm Tue 25 Sep 12

wrongly parked says...

Unbelievable...Thame
s Valley Police officers are so lazzzzzy it’s difficult to believe.
They have a notorious reputation for hiding away in layby areas especially in the Banbury area!
Even a two day week would be hard work for them. It’s not like they are busy because all they seem to do is sit together talking and avoiding dealing with any requests for assistance!
They should do a proper job for a change where they have to actually do some work!
If you want an easy life with no responsibility- be a copper!
Unbelievable...Thame s Valley Police officers are so lazzzzzy it’s difficult to believe. They have a notorious reputation for hiding away in layby areas especially in the Banbury area! Even a two day week would be hard work for them. It’s not like they are busy because all they seem to do is sit together talking and avoiding dealing with any requests for assistance! They should do a proper job for a change where they have to actually do some work! If you want an easy life with no responsibility- be a copper! wrongly parked

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