Police Scotland
Annual Leave
How much annual leave Police Scotland officers get at each stage of service, how the hours stretch on your shift length, what happens when you are recalled or cannot take it, what part-time officers get and how public holidays work, all from the PNBS handbook.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 and 23 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
Constables to chief inspectors get 28 days with less than 2 years' service, 34 days with 2 to 4 years, 36 days with 5 to 9 years and 39 days with 10 years or more, counted as 224, 272, 288 and 312 hours. Superintendents get 40 days. On top, officers have two public holidays: 1 January and 25 December. If you are recalled during a qualifying period of leave you get a leave day back plus a day's pay at double time, or two leave days.
Annual leave by length of service
Annual leave for Police Scotland officers is set in the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) police officer handbook, section 3.1. The current table applies "From April 2024". It is the same for every federated rank: constables, sergeants, inspectors and chief inspectors all move up the same four steps as their service grows.
| Years of service | Days | Hours | On 10-hour shifts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 28 days | 224 hours | 22.4 ten-hour shifts |
| 2 to 4 years | 34 days | 272 hours | 27.2 ten-hour shifts |
| 5 to 9 years | 36 days | 288 hours | 28.8 ten-hour shifts |
| 10 years or more | 39 days | 312 hours | 31.2 ten-hour shifts |
The days column is how Police Scotland describes the entitlement. The hours column is what you actually hold, because the handbook multiplies the days by 8. Police Scotland's recruitment page quotes "28 days annual leave", which is the first step of this table.
The biggest step is at 2 years' service: from 224 to 272 hours, an extra 48 hours (6 days) a year. After that the steps are smaller: 16 hours (2 days) at 5 years and 24 hours (3 days) at 10 years.
Your leave, year by year
Find your completed years of service in the left column. The last column shows the step up from the year before.
| Service | Days | Hours | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 completed years | 28 days | 224 hours | |
| 1 completed year | 28 days | 224 hours | no change |
| 2 completed years | 34 days | 272 hours | +6 days |
| 3 completed years | 34 days | 272 hours | no change |
| 4 completed years | 34 days | 272 hours | no change |
| 5 completed years | 36 days | 288 hours | +2 days |
| 6 completed years | 36 days | 288 hours | no change |
| 7 completed years | 36 days | 288 hours | no change |
| 8 completed years | 36 days | 288 hours | no change |
| 9 completed years | 36 days | 288 hours | no change |
| 10 completed years | 39 days | 312 hours | +3 days |
| 11 completed years | 39 days | 312 hours | no change |
| 12 years or more | 39 days | 312 hours | no change |
Service here means service for leave purposes. The handbook page we read does not explain how earlier service in another police force counts for officers who transfer in; see what we could not verify and the transfers guide.
Superintendents and chief officers
| Rank | Leave | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Superintendent and chief superintendent | 40 days | 320 hours |
| Assistant chief constable and above, under 10 years' relevant service | At least 42 days | 336 hours |
| Assistant chief constable and above, 10 years' relevant service or more | At least 48 days | 384 hours |
For chief officers, relevant service means service at the rank of superintendent or higher. Superintendents get a flat 40 days whatever their service, so a chief inspector with 10 or more years' service (39 days) gains one day on promotion to superintendent. A chief inspector with less service gains more. See the promotion guide and ranks in order for pay at each rank.
Superintending ranks are outside the overtime rules and get another rest day rather than pay when they work a public holiday (handbook 2.6), so their leave and rest day position works differently from the federated ranks. The recall compensation in handbook 2.7 does apply to them: it covers every rank from constable to chief superintendent.
Leave is counted in hours
- All federated ranks have leave calculated in hours, whatever the length of the working day: days x 8.
- You can take leave in hour blocks, half days or full days.
- A half day is at least four hours. There is no limit on how many half days you take.
- Leave is administered to comply with the Working Time Regulations.
- The chief constable may require you to take leave on particular dates.
Counting in hours is fair across shift patterns, but it changes how far your leave goes. An 8-hour day of leave uses 8 hours. A 10-hour shift booked as leave uses 10 hours from your balance. So "28 days" only means 28 days off if you work 8-hour days.
Always plan leave against your hours balance, not the number of days on the recruitment advert. If your duty management record shows your balance in hours, divide by the length of the shifts you want to book to see how many you can cover.
How many shifts your leave covers
Your hours divided by the length of the shifts you book off. The handbook does not set shift lengths; these are simple divisions for common lengths so you can see the effect.
| Entitlement | 8-hour shifts | 9-hour shifts | 10-hour shifts | 12-hour shifts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years (224 hours) | 28 shifts | 24.9 shifts | 22.4 shifts | 18.7 shifts |
| 2 to 4 years (272 hours) | 34 shifts | 30.2 shifts | 27.2 shifts | 22.7 shifts |
| 5 to 9 years (288 hours) | 36 shifts | 32 shifts | 28.8 shifts | 24 shifts |
| 10 years or more (312 hours) | 39 shifts | 34.7 shifts | 31.2 shifts | 26 shifts |
Worked example: a constable with 3 years' service has 272 hours. On 10-hour shifts that covers 27.2 shifts. On 12-hour shifts it covers 22.7 shifts. Booking the odd hour block (for example the last two hours of a shift for an appointment) uses only those hours.
Leave booked next to rest days stretches further in real time off. The handbook's recall rules recognise this: a "qualifying" period of leave is 4 or more days away from duty that includes at least one annual leave day, with the rest made up of rest days, TOIL, public holidays or monthly leave days. See recalled from leave.
When your entitlement changes part way through the year
The handbook says that if you join or leave during a leave period, or your entitlement changes because of service or rank, leave is worked out "for each completed day at each level". In practice that means a blend of the old and new amounts for the year in which the change happens.
| Step | Old level | New level | 25% at new level | 50% at new level | 75% at new level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reaching 2 years' service | 224 h | 272 h | 236 h | 248 h | 260 h |
| Reaching 5 years' service | 272 h | 288 h | 276 h | 280 h | 284 h |
| Reaching 10 years' service | 288 h | 312 h | 294 h | 300 h | 306 h |
Worked example: a constable who reaches 2 years' service exactly halfway through the leave year gets 224 hours for the first half and 272 hours for the second, so 248 hours for that year. The full 272 hours applies from the next leave year. The same applies to someone joining part way through: a recruit who starts with a quarter of the leave year to run has 56 hours for that first part year.
The handbook page we read does not state the start date of the leave year for annual leave, so we have not given calendar dates. Check the leave year with your resource management unit.
Part-time officers
Part-time leave is pro rata. If your determined hours are below full time and you regularly work more than them, your leave is increased to reflect the extra hours, up to the full-time maximum. The extra is granted retrospectively, normally at the end of the relevant year, unless the chief constable decides to do it more often (handbook 3.1).
The table pro-rates against a 40-hour full-time week, which is the week the PNBS hourly rate formula (annual pay x 6/12520) is built on.
| Determined hours | Under 2 years | 2 to 4 years | 5 to 9 years | 10+ years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 hours a week | 89.6 h | 108.8 h | 115.2 h | 124.8 h |
| 20 hours a week | 112 h | 136 h | 144 h | 156 h |
| 24 hours a week | 134.4 h | 163.2 h | 172.8 h | 187.2 h |
| 30 hours a week | 168 h | 204 h | 216 h | 234 h |
| 32 hours a week | 179.2 h | 217.6 h | 230.4 h | 249.6 h |
| 36 hours a week | 201.6 h | 244.8 h | 259.2 h | 280.8 h |
Worked example: a constable with 3 years' service working 24 hours a week has 163.2 hours of leave. If they regularly work extra hours beyond their 24, their leave is topped up at the end of the year to reflect those hours.
Part-time officers also get statutory leave pro rata: the handbook's 20-day statutory minimum is pro-rated for part-time officers (handbook 3.2). For pay on reduced hours see the Police Scotland salary calculator.
Booking and managing your leave: step by step
- Check your service date. Your entitlement steps up at 2, 5 and 10 years. If a step falls in this leave year, expect a blended figure (see above).
- Check your balance in hours. Your entitlement is hours, not days. Divide it by the length of the shifts you want off.
- Use half days and hour blocks. A half day is at least four hours and there is no limit on them, so short absences do not have to cost a whole shift.
- Build qualifying periods. Leave of 4 or more days away from duty including at least one annual leave day is a qualifying period. If you are then required to work during it, the stronger compensation in handbook 2.7 applies.
- Use your leave in the year. Carrying forward is discretionary and normally capped at five days (handbook 3.2). Do not assume a large balance will roll over.
- After sickness or family leave, check what carried over. Statutory leave you could not take is carried over automatically, but it must be used within the time limit.
- If you are recalled, record it. Note the date, who required you, how much notice you had and whether it fell in a qualifying period, then claim the compensation (leave back plus double time, or two days' leave).
- Before you leave the service, ask payroll how untaken leave is treated. The handbook pages we read do not say.
Carrying leave forward and carrying it over
Handbook section 3.2 has two separate rules: discretionary carry forward and the protected carry over of statutory leave.
| Rule | What it says | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Carry forward of untaken days | Additional days in the next leave year up to the number of days not taken, subject to the exigencies of duty. No more than five additional days unless there are exceptional circumstances and it is in the interests of efficiency. | Chief constable's discretion |
| Bringing days forward | Up to five days from the next leave period can be brought into the current one, if they are taken in the last month of the current period. | Chief constable's discretion |
| Statutory leave after sickness or family leave | Statutory leave (20 days, pro rata for part-time officers) you could not take because of sick, maternity, adoption or shared parental leave is brought forward into the next leave year. No request is needed. | Automatic |
| Time limit for carried over statutory leave | Must be taken within 15 months of the end of the leave year in which it built up (3.2.2(c)). | Fixed |
| Order of use | Statutory leave must be taken before occupational leave. | Fixed |
| Long-term sickness | Officers on long-term sick leave may use statutory leave to defer half pay or no pay dates. | Officer's option |
Worked example: a constable with 5 years' service (288 hours, 36 days) is on maternity leave for most of the year and takes only 5 days. The 20 statutory days are protected: what she could not take of those is carried into the next leave year automatically and must be used within 15 months of the end of the year it built up in. The other 16 days above the statutory 20 are occupational leave; carrying those forward is at the chief constable's discretion. Ask for written confirmation of what has carried over. See the maternity pay guide for the rest of the maternity rules.
The handbook's 3.2 page quotes Regulation 25(c) as saying carried over statutory leave must be taken within 18 months of the end of the leave year. Paragraph 3.2.2(c) gives 15 months for leave carried over after sickness or family leave. The page does not explain which applies in which case. Plan on the shorter limit and ask People Direct if it matters to you.
Recalled or required to work during annual leave
Handbook section 2.7 covers being required to work during a period of annual leave. It applies to all ranks from constable to chief superintendent and turns on whether the leave is a "qualifying" period.
| Situation | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period (4 or more days off, at least one an annual leave day): required to work an annual leave day or a TOIL day | One day of annual leave back plus one day's pay at double time, or two days of annual leave |
| Qualifying period: required to work a rest day within it | One rest day plus one day's pay at double time, or two rest days |
| Advanced into or detained into an annual leave day in a qualifying period | The same rules apply; the level of notice is irrelevant |
| Not a qualifying period (fewer than four days off): recalled on an annual leave day | One day of leave for each annual leave day taken |
| Not a qualifying period: recalled on a rest day | Rest day working rules (handbook 2.5) |
| Public holiday within the period | Public holiday rules (handbook 2.6) |
A half day, or at least four hours of leave, counts as an annual leave day for these rules.
What the cash part is worth: a day's pay is a week's pay divided by 5 (handbook 2.11), so "a day's pay at double time" is two fifths of a week's pay. After-tax figures use Scottish income tax 2026/27 and National Insurance on top of the officer's salary, with no pension taken from the extra pay.
| Officer | A day's pay | Compensation | Cash after tax and NI | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable, point 5 | £172.77 | 1 leave day + £345.54 | £245.33 | or 2 leave days |
| Constable, point 11 | £209.32 | 1 leave day + £418.64 | £234.44 | or 2 leave days |
| Sergeant, point 4 | £234.00 | 1 leave day + £468.01 | £262.08 | or 2 leave days |
| Inspector, point 1 | £258.75 | 1 leave day + £517.50 | £289.80 | or 2 leave days |
Worked example: a constable on point 5 (£45,064) books a week off around two rest days and is required to work on the Wednesday. That is a qualifying period, so she can take a day of leave back plus £345.54 (a day's pay of £172.77 at double time), about £245.33 after tax and NI, or two days of leave instead. Expenses for recall from leave are a separate handbook section (5.9) that we have not summarised.
For overtime, rest day and public holiday rules in full, see overtime and rest day working or run the numbers in the Police Scotland overtime calculator.
Falling sick while on annual leave
Handbook section 3.5 (PNB Circular 2014/23) lets an officer who becomes ill during annual leave ask for that leave to be cancelled. You must follow the attendance management procedure and report sick in the normal way for the period.
- Report sick in the normal way on the day you become ill, even though you are on leave.
- Ask for the affected days of annual leave to be cancelled.
- Follow your attendance management procedure for the absence (fit notes and return to work as normal).
- Once you are fit, rebook the cancelled leave, keeping the carry over rules in mind if it is near the end of the leave year.
The handbook page does not say how cancelled leave is credited back or what evidence is needed. It does not mention sickness abroad. Ask your line manager or People Direct how it is handled in practice.
If sickness stops you taking your statutory leave at all, the carry over rule in handbook 3.2.2 protects it: see carrying leave forward.
TOIL is not annual leave
Time off in lieu (TOIL) is time off instead of overtime pay. It sits alongside annual leave but has its own rules in handbook section 2.9:
- It applies to constables and sergeants (the ranks that get overtime).
- Choosing time off rather than payment is the officer's decision, not the service's. It must be made before the pay period ends.
- The time off must be granted within three months of the end of the week in which TOIL was elected, subject to the needs of duty.
- If no time off is taken within the three months, payment is made instead.
TOIL days count towards a qualifying period of leave (4 or more days away including at least one annual leave day), so a block of TOIL with one leave day attached gets the recall protection in handbook 2.7. TOIL that is not taken within three months turns into pay rather than staying as time off.
See overtime and rest day working for the rates TOIL replaces.
Public holidays
- Officers' public holidays are 1 January and 25 December (handbook 3.3).
- You can nominate other days in place of one or both for religious or cultural reasons.
- One-off fixed public holidays agreed for a specific reason cannot be moved to a date of your choosing.
- The public holiday starts at 0700.
- If a public holiday falls on a rest day, the public holiday takes precedence and the rest day is moved to another date.
Two public holidays is fewer than many people expect. Scottish bank holidays are not officers' public holidays under the handbook; the larger annual leave entitlement is where the rest of your time off comes from.
Working a public holiday: what you get
Handbook 2.6: "Compensation for public holiday working applies to all federated ranks." That includes inspectors and chief inspectors, who get no overtime otherwise. You get a minimum of 4 hours at double time plus relevant travelling time and, with less than 8 days' notice, another public holiday as well. Superintending ranks get another rest day instead of pay.
| Case | Paid | Gross | After tax and NI | Another public holiday? | Travel time due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable, point 5: 8 hours, 3 days' notice | 8 h x 2 | £345.54 | £245.33 | Yes | none |
| Constable, point 5: 2 hours, 3 days' notice | 4 h x 2 | £172.77 | £122.67 | Yes | 1.5 h |
| Constable, point 5: 8 hours, 10 days' notice | 8 h x 2 | £345.54 | £245.33 | No | none |
| Sergeant, point 4: 10 hours, 2 days' notice | 10 h x 2 | £585.01 | £327.61 | Yes | none |
| Inspector, point 1: 8 hours, 20 days' notice | 8 h x 2 | £517.50 | £289.80 | No | none |
Worked example: a constable on point 5 works 8 hours on 25 December with 3 days' notice. She is paid 8 hours at double the PNBS hourly rate of £21.60, which is £345.54 gross. Because the notice was under 8 days she also gets another public holiday. Travelling time is not valued here because the handbook pages we read do not state its rate.
Leave, rest days and public holidays: what working each one is worth
Your days off are protected in different ways. This table puts them side by side for a constable on point 5 (£45,064) required to work 8 hours and attending a station, using the PNBS hourly rate of £21.60 (annual pay x 6/12520).
| Day you are required to work | Rule | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Annual leave day in a qualifying period | Handbook 2.7 | 1 leave day back + £345.54 (a day's pay at double time), or 2 leave days |
| Annual leave day, not a qualifying period | Handbook 2.7 | 1 leave day back for each leave day |
| Rest day, under 8 days' notice | Handbook 2.5 | Double time: £345.54 for 8 hours |
| Rest day, 8 to under 18 days' notice | Handbook 2.5 | Time and a half: £259.15 for 8 hours |
| Rest day, 18 days' notice or more | Handbook 2.5 | Another rest day |
| Public holiday | Handbook 2.6 | Double time, minimum 4 hours: £345.54 for 8 hours; plus another public holiday under 8 days' notice |
Two things stand out. Leave inside a qualifying period carries the strongest protection, because you get the day back as well as double time. And rest day notice matters: under 8 days' notice is double time, 18 days or more gets you only another rest day. Inspecting ranks get no rest day pay (they get another rest day) but do get public holiday pay and the annual leave recall compensation.
What your leave is worth
Leave is paid time off, so it has a cash value. Using the handbook's day's pay (a week's pay of annual / 52 1/6, divided by 5), this is what each level of leave is worth at 1 April 2026 pay. The table shows every level at every pay point so you can read across to your own service.
| Officer | Annual pay | A day's pay | An hour's pay | 28 days | 34 days | 36 days | 39 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable, commencing | £34,001 | £130.36 | £16.29 | £3,650 | £4,432 | £4,693 | £5,084 |
| Constable, point 1 | £36,995 | £141.83 | £17.73 | £3,971 | £4,822 | £5,106 | £5,532 |
| Constable, point 2 | £39,988 | £153.31 | £19.16 | £4,293 | £5,212 | £5,519 | £5,979 |
| Constable, point 3 | £42,377 | £162.47 | £20.31 | £4,549 | £5,524 | £5,849 | £6,336 |
| Constable, point 4 | £43,683 | £167.47 | £20.93 | £4,689 | £5,694 | £6,029 | £6,532 |
| Constable, point 5 | £45,064 | £172.77 | £21.60 | £4,838 | £5,874 | £6,220 | £6,738 |
| Constable, point 6 | £46,321 | £177.59 | £22.20 | £4,972 | £6,038 | £6,393 | £6,926 |
| Constable, point 7 | £47,440 | £181.88 | £22.73 | £5,093 | £6,184 | £6,548 | £7,093 |
| Constable, point 8 | £48,940 | £187.63 | £23.45 | £5,254 | £6,379 | £6,755 | £7,318 |
| Constable, point 9 | £51,842 | £198.76 | £24.84 | £5,565 | £6,758 | £7,155 | £7,751 |
| Constable, point 10 | £52,873 | £202.71 | £25.34 | £5,676 | £6,892 | £7,297 | £7,906 |
| Constable, point 11 | £54,597 | £209.32 | £26.16 | £5,861 | £7,117 | £7,535 | £8,163 |
| Sergeant, point 1 | £56,455 | £216.44 | £27.06 | £6,060 | £7,359 | £7,792 | £8,441 |
| Sergeant, point 4 | £61,036 | £234.00 | £29.25 | £6,552 | £7,956 | £8,424 | £9,126 |
| Inspector, point 1 | £67,491 | £258.75 | £32.34 | £7,245 | £8,798 | £9,315 | £10,091 |
| Inspector, point 5 | £74,853 | £286.98 | £35.87 | £8,035 | £9,757 | £10,331 | £11,192 |
| Chief inspector, point 4 | £80,989 | £310.50 | £38.81 | £8,694 | £10,557 | £11,178 | £12,110 |
Worked example: a constable on point 5 earns £863.85 a week, so a day's pay is £172.77. Her 34 days (if she has 2 to 4 years' service) are worth £5,874 of paid time off. A constable at the top of the scale with 10 years' service holds 11 more days than a new recruit, worth £2,302 at the top constable rate.
These are illustrations of value, not money you can claim. Whether untaken leave is ever paid out is not covered in the handbook pages we read.
Three worked scenarios
In the first two years you hold 224 hours. On 10-hour shifts that is 22.4 shifts, not 28. If you need a morning for an appointment, a half day uses 4 hours (the minimum half day) rather than a full shift. Your leave steps up to 272 hours once you complete 2 years' service: if that falls half way through the leave year you get 248 hours that year.
Full-time entitlement at 7 years is 36 days (288 hours). Pro rata at 30 of 40 hours, she holds 216 hours. On point 2 her full-time pay is £57,637, so her part-time pay is £43,228 and a day's pay on her actual pay is £165.73. If she regularly works beyond 30 hours, her leave is topped up at the end of the year to reflect the extra hours (handbook 3.1), up to the full-time maximum.
An inspector on point 1 (£67,491) takes five days off: two rest days and three annual leave days. That is a qualifying period. He is required to work on the second leave day. He gets no overtime as an inspector, but handbook 2.7 covers every rank up to chief superintendent: a day of leave back plus £517.50 (a day's pay at double time), about £289.80 after tax and NI, or two days of leave instead.
Leave over a career: the first 12 years
How much annual leave builds up over the years, assuming full-time service and the current table throughout (it could change after the review due by April 2027). The last column is the England and Wales total for an officer appointed from 1 April 2025, before public holidays.
| Year of service | Leave that year | Total so far | Total hours | England and Wales total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 28 days | 28 days | 224 hours | 25 days |
| Year 2 | 28 days | 56 days | 448 hours | 50 days |
| Year 3 | 34 days | 90 days | 720 hours | 75 days |
| Year 4 | 34 days | 124 days | 992 hours | 100 days |
| Year 5 | 34 days | 158 days | 1264 hours | 125 days |
| Year 6 | 36 days | 194 days | 1552 hours | 150 days |
| Year 7 | 36 days | 230 days | 1840 hours | 176 days |
| Year 8 | 36 days | 266 days | 2128 hours | 203 days |
| Year 9 | 36 days | 302 days | 2416 hours | 231 days |
| Year 10 | 36 days | 338 days | 2704 hours | 260 days |
| Year 11 | 39 days | 377 days | 3016 hours | 290 days |
| Year 12 | 39 days | 416 days | 3328 hours | 320 days |
By the end of year 12 a Scottish officer has had 416 days of annual leave against 320 in England and Wales. Before reading too much into that, remember the bank holidays officers in England and Wales have as public holidays (see below).
Compared with England and Wales
Officers in England and Wales have leave set by Police Regulations 2003 Annex O, amended from 1 April 2025 by Home Office Circular 003/2025. The comparison below uses the England and Wales table for officers appointed on or after 1 April 2025, from our England and Wales annual leave calculator.
| Service | Police Scotland | England and Wales | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 completed years | 28 days | 25 days | +3 days |
| 1 completed year | 28 days | 25 days | +3 days |
| 2 completed years | 34 days | 25 days | +9 days |
| 3 completed years | 34 days | 25 days | +9 days |
| 4 completed years | 34 days | 25 days | +9 days |
| 5 completed years | 36 days | 25 days | +11 days |
| 6 completed years | 36 days | 26 days | +10 days |
| 7 completed years | 36 days | 27 days | +9 days |
| 8 completed years | 36 days | 28 days | +8 days |
| 9 completed years | 36 days | 29 days | +7 days |
| 10 completed years | 39 days | 30 days | +9 days |
| 15 completed years | 39 days | 30 days | +9 days |
| 20 completed years | 39 days | 30 days | +9 days |
| Rank | Police Scotland | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Superintendent and chief superintendent | 40 days | 31 days |
| Above chief superintendent | At least 42 days (48 with 10 years at superintendent or above) | 35 days |
Over the first five years a Scottish constable gets 158 days of annual leave against 125 for a new constable in England and Wales. Over the first ten years it is 338 against 260.
The annual leave figures are not like for like. In England and Wales, Police Regulations 2003 regulation 3(1) defines an officer's public holidays as Christmas Day, Good Friday and the bank holidays (with rules for 26 December and 1 January when they fall at a weekend). A Scottish officer's public holidays are 1 January and 25 December only. So compare total days off, not annual leave on its own.
| Rule | Police Scotland | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | Hours (days x 8) | Days (Annex O) |
| Half days | At least four hours; no limit | Up to 3 days a year below superintendent (Annex O) |
| Carry forward | Up to five days at the chief constable's discretion | Up to five days at the chief officer's discretion (Annex O) |
| Leave set by | PNBS, approved by Scottish Ministers | Home Office determinations under Police Regulations 2003 |
Transferring between the two? See transfers to and from Police Scotland and Police Scotland vs England pay. For England and Wales recall rules see police recall from annual leave.
The annual leave review due by April 2027
PNBS Circular 2025/09 commits both sides to a joint review of annual leave and on-call provisions after the Fraser of Allander Institute Phase Two research, aiming for joint agreement on the regulatory approach by 1 April 2027. It includes a holistic look at how any change to annual leave would affect officers' wellbeing. Nothing in the leave table has changed yet.
The same date matters for pay: the current two-year pay deal ends on 31 March 2027. Follow both on the pay rise 2027/28 tracker and the on-call allowance guide.
Other leave
| Leave | Summary | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity leave | Up to 15 months; 26 weeks' full pay options for babies due on or after 1 April 2026 | Maternity pay guide |
| Maternity support leave | One or two weeks; the first week at full pay, a second at the statutory paternity rate | Handbook 3.9 |
| Adoption leave | 52 weeks for the main adopter; 26 weeks' full pay options for placements from 1 April 2026 | Handbook 3.8 |
| Parental leave | Unpaid, 18 weeks per child under 18 | Handbook 3.13, Police Scotland |
| Shared parental leave | In the first year | Handbook 3.12, Police Scotland |
| Career break | Unpaid, up to five years | Handbook 3.14, Police Scotland |
| Unpaid leave | Up to two weeks a year count as reckonable for pension without extra contributions | Handbook 3.15 |
| Flexible working | Including part-time working and full-time compressed hours | Police Scotland |
Calculators for Police Scotland officers
Put your own numbers in. Each tool uses the same PNBS pay points and formulas as this page.
The overtime calculator prices public holiday working and rest day recall. The salary calculator shows take-home on full or part-time hours.
Questions to put to People Direct or your resource unit
Where the handbook leaves a gap, get the answer in writing before you rely on it:
- What are the start and end dates of my annual leave year?
- What is my service date for leave purposes? Does earlier police service elsewhere count?
- How many hours did my entitlement step up by this year? From which date?
- How much statutory leave was carried over after my sickness or family leave? By when must I use it?
- How many days (if any) has the chief constable agreed I can carry forward?
- For part-time officers: how much extra leave have my regular additional hours earned? When will it be added?
- When I leave: how is untaken or overtaken leave settled?
For pay questions use the salary calculator first so you know what to expect.
Common mistakes
- Counting days, not hours. On long shifts your "28 days" covers fewer shifts. Plan in hours.
- Expecting bank holidays off. Scottish officers' public holidays are 1 January and 25 December only.
- Assuming leave rolls over. Carry forward is discretionary and normally capped at five days.
- Missing the statutory carry over deadline after sickness or maternity leave.
- Not claiming recall compensation. In a qualifying period you are due leave back plus double time, or two leave days.
- Forgetting half days count. A half day of leave counts as an annual leave day when deciding whether a period qualifies.
- Reading England and Wales figures. Annex O, its 25 to 30 days and its half-day limits do not apply in Scotland.
- Forgetting the step at 2 years. It is worth 48 hours a year; check it has been applied.
What we could not verify
- The start and end dates of the annual leave year (the handbook's 3.15 page gives 1 April for its own pension rule, but 3.1 and 3.2 do not state a leave year).
- Whether untaken leave is paid, or overtaken leave recovered, when you leave the service.
- How earlier service in another force counts towards leave steps for transferees and rejoiners.
- Which of the two carry over time limits (15 or 18 months) applies in which case.
- The rate for relevant travelling time on public holiday working.
- Expenses for recall from annual leave (handbook 5.9), not summarised.
- The outcome of the joint review of leave and on-call due by 1 April 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much annual leave do Police Scotland officers get?
Federated ranks get 224 hours (28 days) with less than 2 years' service, 272 hours (34 days) with 2 to 4 years, 288 hours (36 days) with 5 to 9 years and 312 hours (39 days) with 10 years or more (PNBS handbook 3.1, from April 2024). Superintendents and chief superintendents get 40 days.
How much annual leave does a new Police Scotland officer get?
28 days (224 hours) a year while you have less than 2 years' service. Police Scotland's recruitment page also says 28 days annual leave. It rises to 34 days once you have 2 years' service.
When does my Police Scotland annual leave go up?
At 2 years' service (28 to 34 days), at 5 years (34 to 36 days) and at 10 years (36 to 39 days). If the change happens part way through the leave year, the handbook works your leave out for each completed day at each level, so you get a blend of the two amounts that year.
Is Police Scotland annual leave counted in hours or days?
Hours. The handbook multiplies the days by 8, whatever the length of your working day. You can take it in hour blocks, half days (at least four hours) or full days. On 10-hour shifts 224 hours covers 22.4 shifts, not 28.
Are public holidays on top of annual leave in Police Scotland?
Officers have two public holidays, 1 January and 25 December, which can be swapped for other days for religious or cultural reasons (handbook 3.3). Working one is compensated at double time for a minimum of 4 hours for federated ranks.
Can I carry annual leave over to next year in Police Scotland?
The chief constable may grant up to five additional days in the next leave year for days not taken, at their discretion and subject to the needs of the service; more only in exceptional circumstances. Statutory leave you could not take because of sickness, maternity, adoption or shared parental leave is carried over automatically (handbook 3.2).
What happens to my leave if I am off sick or on maternity leave?
Statutory leave (20 days, pro rata for part-time officers) that you could not take because of sick, maternity, adoption or shared parental leave is brought forward into the next leave year without a request and must be taken within 15 months of the end of the leave year in which it built up (handbook 3.2.2).
What do I get if I am recalled from annual leave in Police Scotland?
If you are required to work on an annual leave day during a qualifying period (4 or more days off including at least one annual leave day), you get a day of annual leave back plus a day's pay at double time, or two days of annual leave (handbook 2.7). It applies to constables up to chief superintendents.
Do part-time Police Scotland officers get pro rata leave?
Yes. Part-time entitlement is pro rata and officers who regularly work more than their determined hours get extra leave for the additional hours, up to the full-time maximum, usually given at the end of the leave year (handbook 3.1).
How much leave do Police Scotland superintendents get?
40 days (320 hours). Assistant chief constables and above get at least 42 days, or at least 48 days with 10 years' service at superintendent or above.
Do Police Scotland officers get more leave than in England?
More annual leave days, fewer public holidays. A Scottish constable gets 28 days in the first two years against 25 for a constable appointed in England and Wales from 1 April 2025 (Annex O), rising to 39 against 30. But officers in England and Wales have Good Friday and the bank holidays as public holidays, while Scottish officers have two: 1 January and 25 December.
Can Police Scotland make me take leave on certain dates?
Yes. The handbook says leave is managed to comply with the Working Time Regulations and the chief constable may require an officer to take leave on particular dates.
Is Police Scotland annual leave changing in 2027?
The 2025 pay agreement committed both sides to a joint review of annual leave and on-call, aiming for agreement on the regulatory approach by 1 April 2027 after the Fraser of Allander Institute research. Nothing has changed yet.
Is a half day of leave counted as a full annual leave day for recall compensation?
Yes. For qualifying leave periods, a half day (at least 4 hours of leave) counts as an annual leave day (handbook 2.7 and 3.1).
What if I fall sick while on annual leave in Police Scotland?
You can ask for the leave to be cancelled. Report sick in the normal way and follow the attendance management procedure for that period (handbook 3.5).
Is TOIL the same as annual leave?
No. TOIL is time off instead of overtime pay for constables and sergeants. It must be granted within three months of the end of the week you elected it, or it is paid instead (handbook 2.9). Annual leave has its own carry forward rules.
Do Police Scotland officers get the Scottish bank holidays off?
Not as public holidays under the PNBS handbook. Officers' public holidays are 1 January and 25 December (handbook 3.3). Other days off come from annual leave and rest days.
Am I paid for untaken leave when I leave Police Scotland?
The handbook sections we read (3.1 and 3.2) do not say. Ask People Direct or payroll before you set your leaving date.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 22 and 23 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- PNBS police officer handbook, 3.1 Annual leave entitlement : hours and days by service; superintendents; chief officers; part-time; half days; Working Time Regulations (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 3.2 Carry forward and carry over of annual leave : five additional days; bringing five days forward; statutory leave after sickness and family leave (read 23 October 2026) (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 2.7 Required to work during a period of annual leave : qualifying periods and compensation (read 23 October 2026) (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 3.5 Sick leave during annual leave : cancelling leave when sick (read 23 October 2026) (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 2.9 TOIL : officer's choice; three months to take it, then payment (read 23 October 2026) (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 2.5 Required to work on a rest day : 8 and 18 day notice bands (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 3.3 Public holiday entitlement : 1 January and 25 December; substitution; 0700 start; rest day clash (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 2.6 Required to work on a public holiday : compensation for public holiday working (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 2.11 Calculation of pay : a day's pay = a week's pay / 5; a week = annual / 52 1/6 (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook, 3.15 Unpaid leave : up to two weeks of unpaid leave a year reckonable for pension (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS Circular 2025/09 : joint review of annual leave and on-call by 1 April 2027 (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- PNBS Circular 2026/01, Federated Ranks Pay : pay points used to value leave (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Apply to become a police officer : 28 days annual leave (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Rewards and benefits : parental leave, career breaks, flexible working (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- Home Office Circular 003/2025: Annex O amendment (annual leave), England and Wales : England and Wales comparison (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 3 (England and Wales) : definition of public holiday in England and Wales (accessed 22 and 23 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Police Scotland calculators and related guides
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, the Scottish Police Federation or the Scottish Public Pensions Agency. This page is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Pay and conditions are set through the PNBS and approved by Scottish Ministers and SPPA's figures are the only official pension figures, so check the PNBS handbook, your payslip and your Annual Benefit Statement before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 22 and 23 October 2026.