Annual leave vs rest days
It is a common misconception that annual leave and rest days are the same. Under Police Regulations, they are governed by different rules. Annual leave is a period of "bookable" time off that is deducted from your yearly entitlement, whereas rest days are non-working days built into your roster.
Because annual leave is often linked to significant personal expense (holidays, travel) and family commitments, it carries much higher levels of protection and higher compensation thresholds if it is disrupted.
When leave can be cancelled
A Chief Constable has the legal authority to cancel an officer's annual leave. However, the Police Regulations 2003 and associated Annexes make it clear that this power should only be exercised in response to an exigency of duty—a high-level operational requirement that cannot be met by other means.
Forces are expected to explore all other options (such as overtime or rest day cancellations) before taking the serious step of cancelling an officer's approved annual leave.
Operational necessity explained
What constitutes "operational necessity" or an "exigency of duty" for leave cancellation? Generally, it must be an unforeseen and critical surge in demand. Examples include:
- A major terrorist incident or national emergency.
- Large-scale public disorder (riots).
- A critical shortage of a specific, non-substitutable skill (e.g., specialized investigators for a specific high-profile case).
Simple staffing shortages on a response team due to routine sickness should almost never be justification for cancelling annual leave.
Notice and fairness
There is no specific minimum "notice period" in the regulations for leave cancellation, but forces are encouraged by national guidance and the Home Office to give as much notice as possible.
The force should also take into account the proportionality of the cancellation. If an officer is on the other side of the world on a honeymoon, the operational need would have to be extraordinarily high to justify a recall to duty.
Compensation and reimbursement
When annual leave is cancelled, the compensation is robust. For federated ranks (Constable to Chief Inspector), if you are required to work on a day of annual leave, you are entitled to:
- 2.0x Rate: Payment at double-time for the hours worked (if the leave was booked more than 15 days in advance).
- Reinstated Leave: The day(s) of annual leave you lost must be added back to your entitlement.
- Financial Reimbursement: Forces are generally expected to reimburse officers for any unrecoverable financial losses, such as non-refundable flights, hotel bookings, or travel insurance excess.
Lost leave & carry-over
If a cancellation occurs late in the financial year and you are unable to re-book the leave before the "use it or lose it" deadline, the force should allow you to carry over the leave into the next year.
In some circumstances, forces may offer to "buy back" the extra leave, though this is usually subject to local force policy and is not a universal right under national regulations.
Common leave cancellation scenarios
The Major Incident
A significant public event or incident occurs while you are on leave locally. You are called and told your leave for the next three days is cancelled. This is a lawful recall with double-time pay.
Loss of Deposits
You have paid £2,000 for a family holiday. The force cancels your leave. You should provide receipts and demand full reimbursement for the unrecoverable cost of the trip.
Partial Cancellation
You are allowed to keep the first half of your week off, but the second half is cancelled. This is still a cancellation of approved leave and triggers the same compensation for the lost days.
Practical steps if leave is cancelled
- Request the order in writing: Ensure you have a clear paper trail of who cancelled the leave and when.
- Submit a loss claim: Gather all tickets, invoices, and cancellation emails. Submit a formal reimbursement claim to your force's finance department.
- Confirm your pay: Ensure the days worked are recorded as "Working on a Day of Annual Leave" to trigger the double-time rate.
- Speak to the Federation: Leave cancellation is a serious matter. Your local rep can help ensure the force is following the correct Annexes of the Regulations.
Common Questions
Detailed answers regarding annual leave and your protections.
Can annual leave be cancelled at short notice?
Yes, in an exigency of duty, there is no minimum notice. However, the shorter the notice, the harder it is for the force to justify the "proportionality" of the disruption.
Do I get compensation for lost leave?
Yes. You get paid at double-time for the hours worked, and you get your day of leave back. You also should be reimbursed for unrecoverable costs.
Can leave be cancelled repeatedly?
Technically yes, but this would be a massive welfare and litigation risk for a force. It should be virtually unheard of outside of a national catastrophe.
What if I’ve already paid for travel?
The force is liable to reimburse you for unrecoverable costs. This is one reason why forces are extremely hesitant to cancel leave once it’s been approved.
Does this differ by force?
The minimum protections and compensation rates (2.0x) are set nationally. However, the administrative process for claiming reimbursement may differ slightly between forces.