Met Police threatens to dock pay of employees who make money working from home an excessive amount of – after workers launched industrial motion over the problem
Scotland Yard has warned police staff their pay will be docked if they do not return to the office after employees began their first industrial action in the force’s history over the right to work from home.
Britain’s biggest police force has vowed to get tough on those who won’t return to their desk after mass industrial action started this week.
Large numbers of police staff including 999 call handlers, PCSOs and child protection experts are refusing to come back into the office more often.
More than 50 per cent of the force’s 2,400 Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) members voted to strike in December after being told they couldn’t remain working at home all the time.
The union later opted for a ‘soft strike’ rather than a total walkout, with the industrial action comprising of a refusal to return to the office on contracted days, which is set to continue unless an agreement is reached.
Around 700 Met staff joined an online rally on Monday to mark the start of the industrial action.
The move has left senior officers fuming as the force faces a £450million funding black hole.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has warned of devastating budget cuts, with 2,300 officers and 400 staff due to be axed.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has warned of devastating budget cuts, with 2,300 officers and 400 staff due to be axed
Britain’s biggest police force has vowed to get tough on those who won’t return to their desk after mass industrial action started this week (file image of a police call centre)
Now bosses have told staff their wages will be docked for every day they refuse to come into the office when they are contracted to do.
Employees also face potential disciplinary action if they are not in the office four days a week under the new ‘hybrid working policy’.
Since 2021, Scotland Yard’s 11,000 civilian staff have enjoyed generous hybrid working arrangements with some spending as few as two days out of five in the office.
But as part of a drive to better support frontline officers and improve public trust and confidence, bosses recently asked staff to reduce the amount of time they spent working from home.
The new policy mandates staff to be the workplace for at least 60 per cent of their hours.
Those with operational duties were told from January they would need to spend at least four days a week in the office, while those doing support roles need to be in a minimum of three days.
The directive caused uproar among PCS members including Police Community Support Officers, 999 call handlers, vetting officers, intelligence officers and those working in child protection as well as support roles in areas such as human resources, finance and estate management.
Large numbers of police staff including 999 call handlers, PCSOs and child protection experts are refusing to come back into the office more often (file image)
More than 50 per cent of the force’s 2,400 Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) members voted to strike in December after being told they couldn’t remain working at home all the time (file image)
The union claimed asking workers to come into the office was unreasonable and would subject them to the ‘stress of the daily commute’.
It is the first time Met Police employees have taken industrial action.
So far the impact on the force has been minimal, but the longer the industrial action goes on the more disruption it could cause, with frontline officers on standby to fill in for duties.
One Met source said: ‘We have got officers risking their lives on the streets seven days a week.
‘It beggars belief that some staff are not willing to come into the office three days a week.
‘Some top brass are baffled and others are fuming.’
Union bosses have now written to the Commissioner accusing the force of ‘looking to violate its own workers’ human rights’ announcing they intend to make a formal complaint to the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: ‘We have been engaging with our staff and the union for over a year on our new hybrid working policy and provided three months’ formal notice in advance of this coming into effect. This will ensure we can continue to do our very best to serve London, whilst giving support staff the flexibility to work from home up to two days week.
‘The policy has now come into effect and those who do not comply with it may be in breach of their contract and may lose pay for the time that they work from home over the maximum permitted level for their role. Of course, we are aware some of our staff may have legitimate reasons for not following the policy, due to agreed reasonable adjustments or an approved existing flexible working plan.
‘We will continue to engage with our union and staff to settle this dispute.’
