The role of a police officer in England and Wales is a very difficult one. The responsibility with which officers are charged is a very serious one; the safety of the public is at stake and only the more suitable officers are ever chosen. Since the police force needs responsible and committed individuals to carry out its duties, the pay and benefits of a police officer have to be in line with this. The salary of a police officer is really quite competitive. Upon appointment, a police officer can expect to be earning £21,000 per annum. This increases (to around £23,000) after just 32 weeks and then a pay increase occurs each year for ten years after the two year probation period. After ten years service, a police officer can expect to be earning more than £32,000. On top of this, police officers are also eligible for up to £2,000 worth of allowance costs which is separate from their normal salary. The pay and benefits of a police officer extend to the years after their retirement. The pension scheme for a police officer is really very agreeable. There is even the option of transferring all other pension schemes into the police one. National insurance contributions are paid at a lower, contracted out rate. This means the police pensions are based on earnings and not national insurance payments. The pay is of course pro rata and overtime is available. The working week is 40 hours for police officers and it is almost inevitable that overtime will be required, especially as a case runs over. Police officers are remunerated for their overtime. overtime is not guaranteed and is usually subject to individual police regulations and budgets. Some officers work on a part time basis. The pay and benefits of a police officer are the same only in proportion to the number of hours worked. Some people even apply to the police force on a part time basis although the police training has to be conducted on a full time scale. For those that wish to work part time due to childcare arrangements, there are schemes supported by the police to help with this aspect of life. The holiday entitlement for a police officer is 22 days per year which will increase after the first two years. On a related topic, sick pay is 100% for the first six months of sickness during any 12 month period. Additional health related assistance can be made by the police welfare teams if this is necessary. Given the nature of the police officers' job, this can sometimes be required. Pay and benefits of a police officer match the job they have to perform. The salary is competitive and the pension arrangements are very acceptable indeed. The officers that keep our country safe deserve their remuneration and the benefits that they receive. There are other fringe benefits such as affordable housing and gym access, but the police pay and benefits are altogether, very agreeable.
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