Correspondence

Circular 018/2013 - temporary promotion

Published 23 December 2013

This circular supersedes circular 009/2013, endorsing the PNB circular on temporary promotion and providing a link to PNB guidance previously issued on acting up, temporary promotion and temporary salary. Implementation dates have been corrected to 1 February 2012 to reflect PNB guidance and the link to the PNB guidance has been fixed.

0.1 Temporary promotion – reckoning of service

At the PNB meeting of 19 January 2012 the Sides agreed that, with effect from 1 February 2012 and subject to Regulation 24(3), the service specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) below shall be taken into account in reckoning the service of a member for the purposes of pay on any promotion (whether temporary or permanent). The specified service shall count as service in the higher rank and, in the event that the member returns to a lower rank through demotion or otherwise, service in the lower rank.

The specified service is:

  • (a) All prior service in the higher rank on substantive (permanent) promotion.
  • (b) All prior service in the higher rank on temporary promotion, but only if the member has served in the higher rank (whether on temporary or substantive promotion) at any time within the five years preceding the date of the substantive or temporary promotion in question.

In calculating, the five year period for the purposes of paragraph (b), any period of maternity or adoption leave shall be ignored.

In relation to paragraph (b), for the avoidance of doubt:

Where a member has completed a period of temporary or permanent promotion in the five year period preceding a temporary or permanent promotion which takes effect on or after 1 February 2012, the pay point in the higher rank on which the member will be placed when commencing the new period of temporary or permanent promotion will be the same as the pay point at which the member completed the last period of temporary or permanent promotion.

But where the member has not performed any service at the higher rank within the five year period preceding a temporary or permanent promotion taking effect on or after 1 February 2012, then the member will commence their service in the higher rank at the lowest rate of pay to which a member is entitled on promotion to that rank.

0.2 Guidance on acting up, temporary promotion and temporary salary

Agreement was reached in the Police Negotiating Board to strongly support the use of acting up and temporary promotion as a developmental tool as a way of supporting an officer’s development in the police service by providing first hand experience of performing the duties normally performed by a member of the force of a higher rank than his/her own.

This circular reaffirms the use of this guidance which was accepted by the Home Office in circular 18/2008 - PNB guidance.