Flexitime Policy

1.      Statement of Policy

With the agreement of line management, flexitime may be used by police staff who are not shift workers e.g. those working shifts and/or weekends and receiving an allowance, or those staff who are on fixed hours contracts.

This policy does not form part of police staff terms and conditions of employment and may be subject to change at the discretion of management.

Applies (but not limited) to: All categories of Dyfed-Powys Police employees, whether full-time, part-time, permanent, fixed term, temporary (including agency staff, associates and contractors) or seconded staff.   Any employee accessing and using Force assets and property must have due regard to the contents of this policy.

 

2.      Policy Scope

The aim of this policy is to enable the organisation to deliver optimum service and performance whilst accommodating the needs of staff for flexibility in their working hours.

It ensures a logical, consistent approach is taken, providing fair and equitable treatment irrespective of Age; Disability; Gender Reassignment; Marriage and Civil Partnership; Pregnancy and Maternity; Race; Religion or Belief; Sex; Sexual Orientation or Welsh Language.

 

3.      Policy

3.1    Flexitime enables staff to request to change the time they start and finish work and to vary the length of their lunch break. All requests must be authorised by the line manager.

3.2   The number of contracted hours remains unchanged, as does the responsibility of staff to deliver the requirements of their role.

3.3   All Staff must record their working hours using the Working Time Recording (WTR) system. The system can be accessed and updated via an intranet log-on facility, the swipe card system (HQ only), or mobile device.

3.4    The flexibility of working hours must be pre agreed by line management.

3.5   The success of flexitime is inextricably linked to monitoring and improving service efficiency and effectiveness.

3.6   Pre-planning is critical and the requirements for optimum performance and service delivery take priority. Any flexitime request agreed in principle can be subject to change to ensure the requirements of the organisation are met.

3.7   Line managers must inform their staff of coverage requirements, detailing the minimum staffing levels required during office opening hours. The opening hours of each section/department must also be clearly set out. These opening hours may vary between teams because of the nature of the work being undertaken and the requirement for the public to access our services.

3.8   All work undertaken is monitored by line management to ensure optimum performance and service delivery is being achieved.

3.9    Any abuse of the flexitime system will result in disciplinary action and could result in dismissal. Examples of abuse include:

• The incorrect recording of the time an individual arrives or leaves work.
• Not clocking out for rest/smoking/food breaks while at work.
• Taking flexitime leave which has not been authorised in advanced by a manager.
• The incorrect recording and crediting of time attending medical and other appointments.
• Not keeping flexitime records up to date.

 

4.      Definitions

Flexitime has a number of terms which may be unfamiliar to staff. So that there is no confusion over their precise meaning, the most common of them are detailed below together with the meaning assigned to them.

4.1   Flexitime Settlement Period

A flexitime settlement period is 4 weeks. This means that working hours are added together to confirm total hours worked every 4 weeks.

4.2    Bandwidth - Hours of Work

The flexi bandwidth is 6:00 am – 10:00 pm

The bandwidth is the hours between which you can request to work. The Working hours must comply with Working Time Regulations – Workforce Agreement, specifically:

• Maximum weekly working time will not exceed 48 hours (calculated over a rolling 17 weeks)
• At least 11 hours daily rest.

 

4.3    Standard Working Time

The full-time hours for a member of staff (who are not shift workers) is 37 hours per week this is broken down to the following.

Please note :- for staff working part time hours (i.e. less that 37 hours) the following are pro rata.  

Standard Month 20 days	(148 hours)
Standard Week 5 days	(37 hours)
Standard Day	(7 hours 24 minutes)
Standard Half Day	(3 hours 42 minutes)

 

The HR Admin team can calculate pro rata entitlements for part time staff on request via email – [email protected]

 

 

4.4   Working Days

Flexitime workers by definition are rostered to work between Monday to Friday. There is however flexibility, with line manager approval, for time to be worked on weekends. This facility is in place to enable staff to work back time on a weekend where they have been unable to work their normal contractual hours on their usual working days. For example, due to a planned school closure a parent is unable to work their normal hours on a Monday, where it is agreed with their line manager that they can make up the hours they did not work the following Saturday.

This facility should not be used to enable staff to build up hours in addition to their contractual hours.

Allowances (i.e. shift & weekend working) will not be paid where working times and days are at the employees request within the flexitime scheme.

 

4.5    Normal Office Hours

        The times during which offices are open to the public or other members of staff.

        Heads of Department must establish and publish their normal office opening hours and confirm the minimum staff coverage required during these times. Normal office hours are inclusive of a lunch period, and cover must be provided.

4.6   Credit & Debit Limits

The maximum number of hours in credit that can be carried forward per settlement period is 14 hours 48 minutes (this is pro rata for part time staff). However, it is recognised that there may be exceptional circumstances where work requirements necessitate staff accruing more than 14 hours 48 minutes credit in a settlement period and it is not possible to authorise flexitime leave being taken without negatively impacting on service provision. For example, excessive work demands or a critical incident where a Head of Department has authorised additional hours to be worked but cannot authorise equivalent time off during the flexi period.

The carry forward of credit in excess of 14 hours 48 minutes can only be   authorised by the Head of Department.

Chief Officers will scrutinise flexitime balances in excess of 14 hours 48 minutes on a monthly basis.

The maximum number of hours in debit that can be carried forward is 7 hours 24 minutes (this is pro rata for part time staff). Any debit over 7 hours 24 minutes must be reviewed and addressed by line management at the end of the settlement period. Time must be worked back or may be reduced by using annual leave days.

 

4.7    Flexitime Leave

Staff can request to take a maximum of two full days of flexitime leave per settlement period, pro-rata for part time staff. The debit taken for one day of flexi leave equates to the staff members contractual hours for the day in question. This is typically 7 hours 24 minutes for a whole day for most full-time staff.

Flexitime leave must be applied for in advance and have prior authorisation from line management.  The leave request will be considered, taking account of office opening hours and minimum staff coverage requirements during these times.

It may not always be possible for flexitime requests to be authorised. Any authorisation can be withdrawn at any time, for example, in the case of a change in circumstance.

Request for flexi leave cannot be submitted retrospectively, for example to change agreed annual leave from last month to flexi leave this month. The only exception to this being to avoid any flexi time being lost.  

There may be limited circumstances where staff without sufficient flexi leave credit can be authorised flexi lime. For example, a member of staff requesting flexi for caring responsibility (not covered by other entitlements) at the beginning of a flexi period may not have sufficient credit and may not have annual leave remaining (if towards the end of their leave year). There may be time for them to accrue credit before actually taking the time off or the manager may be satisfied that are normally in credit and is confident, they will work back the time.

4.8    Rest Breaks

Staff are required to take a minimum of 30 minutes unpaid break if working more than 6 hours (30 minutes to be taken as a continuous block of time). The break period cannot be taken at the beginning or end of the working hours, as per the Police Staff Pay and Conditions of Service and Working Time – Workforce Agreement.

Any break from work does not count as working time and needs to be recorded i.e. clock out and clock back in to record the break. If a break isn’t recorded during in a period of work totalling more than 6 hours the WTR system will automatically deduct 30 minutes from the recorded working time.

4.9   Responsibilities of staff

 

  Staff are required to manage their own flexi time and regularly (i.e.at least on a monthly basis) check their working time recording entries (i.e. clocking in and out times) to ensure accuracy. This must be done in advance of the flexi period ending.

  Managers are also required to regularly check the flexi balances of their staff, and where necessary discuss any concerns with the individual.  

 

5.  Powers and Policy/Legal Requirements

This policy has been created in line with legislations and guidance and following consultation with staff associations and support networks.

An Equality Impact Assessment form has been completed.

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

• Dyfed-Powys Police - Flexitime (police staff) guidance document.
• Dyfed-Powys Police – Police Staff Pay & Conditions of Service Handbook, November 2021.

 

    

5.      Options and Contingencies.

The responsibilities of individuals and managers are clearly set out in the Flexitime policy (staff) guidance document.

The Code of Ethics principles of Public Service, Courage, Respect & Empathy are relevant to this policy and the associated guidance.

 

6.      Take action and review.

This policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure that it is still relevant, and feedback will be sought from key stakeholders and the wider police force.

Any feedback or dissatisfaction with the policy will be recorded and discussed with the policy owner and appropriate action taken.

CODE OF ETHICS CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

This policy has been drafted in accordance with the Code of Ethics and has been reviewed on the basis of its content and the supporting evidence and it is deemed compliant with that Code and the principles underpinning it.

HUMAN RIGHTS ACT CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

This policy has been drafted in accordance with the Human Rights Act and has been reviewed on the basis of its content and the supporting evidence and it is deemed compliant with that Act and the principles underpinning it.

EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 sets out the protected characteristics that qualify for protection under the Act as follows: Age; Disability; Gender Reassignment; Marriage and Civil Partnership; Pregnancy and Maternity; Race; Religion or Belief; Sex; Sexual Orientation.

The public sector equality duty places a proactive legal requirement on public bodies to have regard, in the exercise of their functions, to the need to:

• eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct that is unlawful under the Act;
• advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
• foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

The equality duty applies to all protected characteristics with the exception of Marriage and Civil Partnership, to which only the duty to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination applies.

Carrying out an equality impact assessment involves systematically assessing the likely or actual effects of policies on people in respect of all the protected characteristics set out above. An equality impact assessment should be carried out on any policy that is relevant to the public sector equality duty. 

EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT COMPLETED: November 2024