Police Scotland Pay & Conditions (2026/27): Overtime, Annual Leave, Maternity & Sick Pay
How non-basic pay and working conditions work in Police Scotland under the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 and Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) agreements: hourly overtime multipliers, annual leave entitlement (28 to 39 days), 26-week full maternity pay and rolling 12-month sick pay rules.
1. Overtime & rest day working rates (Constable & Sergeant)
In Police Scotland, Constables and Sergeants work a standard 40-hour week (2,085.7 hours per year). Inspecting ranks (Inspector and above) are salaried and do not receive paid overtime. For casual overtime at the end of a shift, the first 30 minutes on each occasion are disregarded (for the first four occasions in a week), after which overtime is paid at time-and-a-third (1.33×).
| Rank & pay point | Annual salary | Basic / hr (1.0×) | Casual OT (1.33×) | Rest day <15d (1.5×) | Public holiday (2.0×) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable — Pay Point 1 (Probationer) | £34,001 | £16.30/hr | £21.74/hr | £24.45/hr | £32.60/hr |
| Constable — Pay Point 12 (Top of scale) | £54,597 | £26.18/hr | £34.90/hr | £39.27/hr | £52.35/hr |
| Sergeant — Pay Point 1 (On promotion) | £56,455 | £27.07/hr | £36.09/hr | £40.60/hr | £54.14/hr |
| Sergeant — Pay Point 5 (Top of scale) | £61,036 | £29.26/hr | £39.02/hr | £43.90/hr | £58.53/hr |
Rest days cancelled with 15 or more days' notice are re-rostered to another day within local timescales rather than paid at 1.5×. Want to model your exact monthly take-home with overtime? Use the police overtime calculator.
2. Annual leave entitlement (28 to 39 days)
Police Scotland annual leave for Constables, Sergeants, Inspectors and Chief Inspectors scales with total relevant police service (expressed in 8-hour days and equivalent hours for variable shift rosters):
| Length of relevant service | Annual leave (8-hr days) | Annual leave (hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 2 years’ relevant service | 28 days | 224 hrs |
| 2 to 9 years’ relevant service | 34 days | 272 hrs |
| 10 to 14 years’ relevant service | 36 days | 288 hrs |
| 15 to 19 years’ relevant service | 37 days | 296 hrs |
| 20 or more years’ relevant service | 39 days | 312 hrs |
Under PNBS guidelines, your first 20 days of annual leave represent statutory Working Time Directive leave. If you cannot take your statutory leave due to sickness, maternity, adoption or shared parental leave, it is automatically carried over and may be taken within 15 months of the end of the leave year in which it accrued.
3. Maternity, adoption & parental pay (26 weeks full pay)
Police Scotland officers can take up to 15 months of police maternity leave in total. Under PNBS family leave agreements, officers with at least 63 weeks' continuous service by the expected week of childbirth (or matching week for adoption) qualify for Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP):
- Weeks 1 to 26: Full police pay (inclusive of Statutory Maternity Pay — SMP). Officers may optionally elect to spread the final 5 weeks of full OMP over 10 weeks at half pay plus half SMP to extend their paid leave window.
- Weeks 27 to 39: Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) at the statutory flat rate (or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower).
- Weeks 40 to 65 (up to 15 months): Unpaid occupational maternity leave (during which annual leave continues to accrue and pensionable service can be bought back at a reduced member contribution rate).
- Keeping in Touch (KIT) days: Up to 10 KIT days can be worked during maternity or adoption leave without ending your leave period.
4. Sick pay rules (6 months full pay + 6 months half pay)
Under Annex 14 of the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013, certified sickness absence is calculated over a rolling 12-month lookback period:
- First 6 months (up to 183 days): 100% full pensionable pay.
- Next 6 months (days 184 to 365): 50% half pay.
- After 12 months in any rolling year: Nil pay, unless the Chief Constable exercises discretion to extend full or half pay (most commonly where the absence results from an injury sustained in the execution of duty).
- SPF Group Insurance: Officers subscribing to the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) voluntary Group Insurance Scheme receive regulation-half-pay top-up benefits if their salary is reduced to half pay due to prolonged sickness.
More Police Scotland pay & pension pages
Police Scotland pay & conditions — frequently asked questions
How many days of annual leave do Police Scotland officers get?
Under the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 and Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) determinations, federated officers receive between 28 and 39 working days (8-hour equivalents) of paid leave per year depending on length of service: 28 days under 2 years' service, 34 days at 2–9 years, 36 days at 10–14 years, 37 days at 15–19 years, and 39 days at 20+ years' service.
How does Police Scotland maternity pay work in 2026/27?
Eligible pregnant officers in Police Scotland can take up to 15 months of police maternity leave. Officers who have completed at least 63 weeks' continuous service by the expected week of childbirth qualify for Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP), which provides 26 weeks at full pay (enhanced under PNBS agreement), followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). Officers can also elect to have the last 5 weeks of full OMP spread over 10 weeks at half pay plus half SMP.
What is the sick pay entitlement for Police Scotland officers?
Under Annex 14 of the Police Service of Scotland Regulations, an officer absent on certified sick leave is entitled to full pay for the first 6 months (183 days) in any rolling 12-month period, followed by half pay for the next 6 months. The rolling 12-month lookback deducts any previous periods of paid sickness absence in the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of the current absence. The Chief Constable retains discretion to extend full or half pay in exceptional cases such as on-duty injuries.
How is overtime calculated in Police Scotland?
Constables and Sergeants in Police Scotland are eligible for paid overtime based on an hourly rate of annual basic pay divided by 2,085.7 hours (40 hours/week). Casual overtime at the end of a tour is paid at 1.33× (time-and-a-third) after the first 30 minutes (which are disregarded on up to four occasions per week). Rest day working with less than 15 days' notice is paid at 1.5× (time-and-a-half), and working on a designated public holiday is paid at 2× (double time). Inspecting and superintending ranks are salaried and do not receive paid overtime.
What happens if a Police Scotland officer falls sick during annual leave?
If an officer falls ill before or during a period of scheduled annual leave and obtains appropriate medical certification in accordance with force policy, they can reclaim those days as sick leave and take the recredited annual leave later. Similarly, statutory annual leave (20 days) that cannot be taken due to long-term sick leave or maternity leave is protected and carried over into the following leave year (to be taken within 15 months).
Sources: The Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 (SSI 2013/35); Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) Police Officer Handbook & Circulars; Scottish Police Federation (SPF) guidance. Looking for England & Wales? See England & Wales overtime and PRRB allowances.