Pay rules

Police Scotland Overtime
& Rest Day Working

Every rule in the PNBS police officer handbook on overtime, recall, rest days and public holidays, with the 2026 hourly rates, dozens of worked examples for constables, sergeants and inspectors and what you keep after Scottish tax.

Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 23 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated

Short answer: what are Police Scotland's overtime and rest day rates?

Constables and sergeants get time and a third for overtime and recalls, paid for each completed 15 minutes. A rest day worked with less than 8 days' notice is double time; 8 to under 18 days is time and a half; 18 days or more earns another rest day. Public holidays are a minimum of 4 hours at double time for all federated ranks. The hourly rate is annual pay x 6/12520: £21.60 for a constable on £45,064.

Who gets overtime

Overtime "is only applicable to constables and sergeants" (handbook 2.3). The handbook lists four kinds of overtime: casual overtime at the end of a tour of duty or rostered shift; a recall to duty between two tours; a start time advanced (on or into a working day) without due notice; and a start time deferred without due notice. The handbook gives Regulation 17, Annex 7 and PNB Circular 2017/3 as the governing provisions.

Rest day and public holiday working are compensated separately (handbook 2.5 and 2.6, Regulation 18 and Annex 8). That matters because different ranks are covered: public holiday compensation reaches inspectors and chief inspectors, while overtime and rest day pay stop at sergeant. Inspecting and superintending ranks are covered in their own section.

Who is compensated for what (PNBS handbook)
Extra duty	Constable and sergeant	Inspector and chief inspector	Superintendent and chief superintendent
Casual overtime, recall, start time moved	Time and a third, paid or TOIL	Nothing	Nothing
Rest day worked, under 18 days' notice	Double time or time and a half	Another rest day (plus the short-notice allowance in some cases)	Another rest day (plus the short-notice allowance in some cases)
Rest day worked, 18 days' notice or more	Another rest day	Another rest day	Another rest day
Public holiday worked	Minimum 4 hours at double time	Minimum 4 hours at double time	Another rest day
Fourth disrupted rest day in 42 days	Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance £25.99	Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance £25.99	Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance £25.99

The force day runs from 0700 to 0700 unless the chief constable fixes another time (Quick Reference B). That is why a shift that runs past 0700 into a rest day or public holiday changes the rate at 0700, not at midnight.

The hourly rate formula and 2026 rates

The handbook (2.11) sets monthly pay as annual pay / 12 and weekly pay as annual pay / 52 1/6. For overtime, rest days and public holidays a day's pay is a week's pay / 5 (for other purposes it is a week / 7). The part-time constable hourly rate is annual pay x 6/12520, which is exactly a day's pay / 8. That works out at about 2,086.7 hours a year.

Step by step: a constable on point 5 (£45,064)

A week's pay: £45,064 / 52 1/6 = £863.85.
A day's pay for overtime purposes: £863.85 / 5 = £172.77.
An hour: £172.77 / 8 = £21.60 (the same as £45,064 x 6/12520).
Time and a third: £28.79. Time and a half: £32.39. Double time: £43.19.

Our salary calculator used to divide by 1,930 hours, which gave £23.35 an hour for a constable on point 5 instead of £21.60. It now uses the handbook formula, as do the overtime calculator and every figure on this page.

Constable and sergeant overtime rates from 1 April 2026 (PNBS Circular 2026/01)
Point	Annual	Week	Day (week / 5)	Hour	x 1 1/3	x 1.5	x 2
PC commencing	£34,001	£651.78	£130.36	£16.29	£21.73	£24.44	£32.59
PC 1	£36,995	£709.17	£141.83	£17.73	£23.64	£26.59	£35.46
PC 2	£39,988	£766.54	£153.31	£19.16	£25.55	£28.75	£38.33
PC 3	£42,377	£812.34	£162.47	£20.31	£27.08	£30.46	£40.62
PC 4	£43,683	£837.37	£167.47	£20.93	£27.91	£31.40	£41.87
PC 5	£45,064	£863.85	£172.77	£21.60	£28.79	£32.39	£43.19
PC 6	£46,321	£887.94	£177.59	£22.20	£29.60	£33.30	£44.40
PC 7	£47,440	£909.39	£181.88	£22.73	£30.31	£34.10	£45.47
PC 8	£48,940	£938.15	£187.63	£23.45	£31.27	£35.18	£46.91
PC 9	£51,842	£993.78	£198.76	£24.84	£33.13	£37.27	£49.69
PC 10	£52,873	£1,013.54	£202.71	£25.34	£33.78	£38.01	£50.68
PC 11	£54,597	£1,046.59	£209.32	£26.16	£34.89	£39.25	£52.33
Sgt 1	£56,455	£1,082.20	£216.44	£27.06	£36.07	£40.58	£54.11
Sgt 2	£57,637	£1,104.86	£220.97	£27.62	£36.83	£41.43	£55.24
Sgt 3	£59,312	£1,136.97	£227.39	£28.42	£37.90	£42.64	£56.85
Sgt 4	£61,036	£1,170.02	£234.00	£29.25	£39.00	£43.88	£58.50

Inspectors and chief inspectors get no overtime, but they are paid double time for public holiday working, so their hourly rate still matters on 1 January and 25 December. The last column is the 4-hour public holiday minimum.

Inspecting ranks: hourly rate and public holiday pay from 1 April 2026
Point	Annual	Hour	Double time	4-hour minimum
Inspector 1	£67,491	£32.34	£64.69	£258.75
Inspector 2	£69,369	£33.24	£66.49	£265.95
Inspector 3	£71,248	£34.14	£68.29	£273.16
Inspector 4	£73,130	£35.05	£70.09	£280.37
Inspector 5	£74,853	£35.87	£71.74	£286.98
Chief inspector 1	£76,087	£36.46	£72.93	£291.71
Chief inspector 2	£77,638	£37.21	£74.41	£297.65
Chief inspector 3	£79,734	£38.21	£76.42	£305.69
Chief inspector 4	£80,989	£38.81	£77.63	£310.50

Basic pay points are explained on our Police Scotland pay scales page. Rates rise each 1 April with the PNBS pay award: see the 2027/28 pay rise tracker.

Work out your own shift

The calculator below runs the same rules as this page: pick your rank and pay point, the kind of extra duty, how long you worked and how much notice you had. It shows the gross payment, travelling time due, any time off and what you keep after Scottish income tax and National Insurance. It is also on its own page: Police Scotland overtime calculator.

Your shift

Police Scotland rules (PNBS police officer handbook). Worked out in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.

RankPay point (1 April 2026)Hourly rate £21.60: annual pay x 6/12520 (PNBS handbook 2.11).What happenedTime and a third for each completed 15 minutes, paid or time off (TOIL) at your choice.

Hours workedMinutes

How many times this year (for take-home)I pay 13.7% pension on my salary

What you are due

Before tax

£50.39

1.75 hours at time and a third (£28.79 an hour)

Take-home

£35.78

after £10.58 Scottish income tax and £4.03 NI

You keep

71p in £1

Top band after pension: Intermediate (21%)

You can take time off in lieu (TOIL) instead of payment: the choice is yours, not the service's.

Take-home treats this as extra pay in the 2026/27 tax year on top of your salary of £45,064: Scottish income tax after the 13.7% pension on your salary (overtime itself is not pensionable) and National Insurance at 8% up to £50,270 a year and 2% above. PAYE works month by month, so a single payslip can differ. Not modelled: inspecting ranks' Short-notice Rest Day Working Allowance (£112.05 under 48 hours' notice, at least 4 hours worked), advancement or deferment of start times, part-time additional hours and mileage.

Casual overtime: kept on at the end of a shift

If you are told after your shift starts that you must stay on past its end, you are paid, or get time off in lieu, at time and a third for each completed period of 15 minutes (Quick Reference B). Only completed periods count: 14 minutes earns nothing and 29 minutes counts as 15. No travelling time is claimed for continuous duty, because there is no extra journey.

Completed 15-minute periods, constable on point 5 (£28.79 an hour at time and a third)
Time kept on	Counts as	Paid hours	Before tax	Lost to rounding
10 minutes	0 minutes	0 h	£0.00	Nothing paid
14 minutes	0 minutes	0 h	£0.00	Nothing paid
15 minutes	15 minutes	0.25 h	£7.20	Nothing lost
29 minutes	15 minutes	0.25 h	£7.20	14 minutes unpaid
30 minutes	30 minutes	0.5 h	£14.40	Nothing lost
44 minutes	30 minutes	0.5 h	£14.40	14 minutes unpaid
47 minutes	45 minutes	0.75 h	£21.60	2 minutes unpaid
59 minutes	45 minutes	0.75 h	£21.60	14 minutes unpaid
60 minutes	60 minutes	1 h	£28.79	Nothing lost
75 minutes	75 minutes	1.25 h	£35.99	Nothing lost
100 minutes	90 minutes	1.5 h	£43.19	10 minutes unpaid
135 minutes	135 minutes	2.25 h	£64.79	Nothing lost

Two examples from the table above in words. A constable on point 5 kept on 47 minutes after a late shift is paid for 45 minutes: £21.60 before tax. A sergeant on point 4 (£61,036) kept on 1 hour 35 minutes is paid for 1 hour 30 minutes at time and a third: £58.50. An inspector kept on two hours is paid nothing (no overtime for inspecting ranks).

Record the real finish time

Because each completed 15 minutes counts, the exact time you went off duty decides the payment. Leaving at 2344 instead of 2345 after a 2300 finish costs you a whole quarter hour. Record the actual time on the duty system on the day.

Start time advanced or deferred without due notice

Handbook 2.4 covers a working day whose start time is moved. Due notice is 24 hours, or 12 hours for unforeseen court attendance.

Advanced with less than 24 hours' notice: time and a third for each completed 15 minutes worked before the original start. The handbook's example: rostered 0900 to 1700, told without due notice to start at 0700. The two hours from 0700 to 0900 are overtime and they count towards the tour, so the 8-hour day ends at 1500. Work after 1500 is further overtime.
Deferred with less than 24 hours' notice of the original start: time and a third for each completed 15 minutes. The handbook's example: rostered 1400 to 2200, told without due notice to start at 1600. The hours from 2200 to midnight are paid at overtime rates.
At least 24 hours' notice (12 for unforeseen court): no overtime.
Advanced into a rest day or public holiday: the rest day or public holiday rules apply instead (see below).

Priced at 2026 rates, the two hours in the advanced example are worth £57.59 to a constable on point 5 and the two deferred hours £72.15 to a sergeant on point 1. The handbook sets no minimum payment for a moved start time.

Recall to duty between two shifts

A recall is extra duty separate from your rostered tours and sitting between two of them (Quick Reference C). It almost always comes from an exigency of duty. Being given notice of a requirement to work is not a recall. If the extra duty runs into another tour or a non-working day, other rules apply.

Recall to duty (Quick Reference C), constables and sergeants
When the recall starts	Attending a station, incident or court?	Compensation
2300 to 0700	No	Minimum 1 hour at time and a third
2300 to 0700	Yes	Minimum 4 hours at time and a third plus relevant travelling time
0700 to 2300	Either	Each completed 15 minutes at time and a third plus travelling time where it applies

It is the start time of the recall that decides the minimum, even if the work carries on past 2300 or 0700. The handbook's own examples: recalled at 2245 and working to 2330 is 45 minutes at time and a third; recalled at 0630 and working to 0715 is a minimum of 4 hours.

Recall examples at 1 April 2026 pay
Situation	Paid hours	Before tax	Also
PC point 5 recalled at 0200 to an incident, works 1 h 30 m	4 h x 1 1/3	£115.18	plus 1.5 h travelling time
PC point 5 phoned at 0300 for advice, no attendance, 20 minutes	1 h x 1 1/3	£28.79	-
Sergeant point 1 recalled at 0100 to the custody suite, works 5 h 30 m	5.5 h x 1 1/3	£198.40	plus 0.5 h travelling time
PC point 5 recalled at 2245, works to 2330 (handbook example 1)	0.75 h x 1 1/3	£21.60	plus 1.5 h travelling time
PC point 5 recalled at 0630, works to 0715 (handbook example 2)	4 h x 1 1/3	£115.18	plus 1.5 h travelling time
PC point 8 recalled at 1500 on a day off between two shifts, works 3 hours	3 h x 1 1/3	£93.81	plus 1.5 h travelling time

Note the gap between the two handbook examples: 15 minutes either side of 2300 or 0700 can turn a £21.60 payment into £115.18. Inspectors and above get no overtime payment or TOIL for a recall. Travelling time is shown in hours: the handbook fixes the hours but the pages we read do not state the rate (see travelling time).

Rest day working

A rest day keeps its status unless it is re-rostered with at least 18 days' notice (handbook 2.5). With less notice you are being required to work on a rest day and you are compensated by the notice you had. Constables and sergeants are paid; inspecting and superintending ranks get another rest day instead.

Required to work on a rest day (handbook 2.5), constables and sergeants
Situation	Less than 8 days' notice	8 to under 18 days	18 days or more
Not required to attend a station, incident or court	Minimum 1 hour at double time	Minimum 1 hour at time and a half	Another rest day
Required to attend	Minimum 4 hours at double time plus travelling time	Minimum 4 hours at time and a half plus travelling time	Another rest day
Start time advanced into a rest day	4 hours at double time	4 hours at time and a half	Another rest day
Detained on duty into a rest day	Double time for each completed 15 minutes	Double time for each completed 15 minutes	Double time for each completed 15 minutes

What an 8-hour rest day shift is worth at each notice period, for a constable on point 5 (£45,064) and a sergeant on point 1 (£56,455). The 8 hours are paid as worked: the 4-hour minimum only matters for shorter attendances.

An 8-hour rest day shift by days' notice, 1 April 2026 pay
Days' notice	Rate	Constable point 5	Sergeant point 1
3 days	double time	£345.54	£432.88
7 days	double time	£345.54	£432.88
8 days	time and a half	£259.15	£324.66
12 days	time and a half	£259.15	£324.66
17 days	time and a half	£259.15	£324.66
18 days	Another rest day	Another rest day	Another rest day
25 days	Another rest day	Another rest day	Another rest day

The jump at 8 days is large: the same shift is worth a third less with 8 days' notice than with 7. At 18 days you get no money at all, only another rest day. Short attendances show how the minimums work:

Shorter rest day attendances
Situation	Paid hours	Before tax	Also
PC point 5 attends court on a rest day, 6 days' notice, 2 hours	4 h x 2	£172.77	plus 1.5 h travelling time
PC point 5 attends court on a rest day, 12 days' notice, 2 hours	4 h x 1.5	£129.58	plus 1.5 h travelling time
PC point 5 takes a 20-minute work phone call on a rest day, 3 days' notice, no attendance	1 h x 2	£43.19	-
PC point 5 does 20 minutes of remote work on a rest day, 10 days' notice, no attendance	1 h x 1.5	£32.39	-
Sergeant point 1 attends a 5-hour event on a rest day, 4 days' notice	5 h x 2	£270.55	plus 1 h travelling time
Sergeant point 1 works a 10-hour rest day shift, 9 days' notice	10 h x 1.5	£405.83	-
Inspector point 1 works a rest day, 2 days' notice	No pay	-	Another rest day

Start time advanced into a rest day

If your 0700 start on a working day is moved to 0500 and the earlier two hours fall in a rest day, those two hours earn 4 hours at the rest day rate (handbook 2.5). For a constable on point 5 that is £172.77 with less than 8 days' notice or £129.58 with 8 to under 18 days. With 18 days or more you get another rest day.

Detained on duty into a rest day

If a shift runs on past 0700 into a rest day you are paid double time for each completed 15 minutes, whatever the notice. A constable on point 5 kept on 1 hour 10 minutes into a rest day is paid for 1 hour at double time: £43.19. A sergeant on point 1 kept on 3 hours 10 minutes is paid for 3 hours: £162.33. No travelling time is due because the duty was continuous.

Mileage

From 1 April 2025 PNBS Circular 2025/09 gives an entitlement to mileage on a rest day worked with less than 18 days' notice, at rates aligned to HMRC's. Claim it alongside the rest day payment.

Counting days' notice correctly

Handbook 1.5 says you ignore both the day the requirement is notified and the day you are required to work. Only the whole days in between count. This catches people out at both band edges:

Days' notice under handbook 1.5 (our worked illustrations)
What happened	Days' notice	Rest day rate
Told on a Monday, rest day is the Tuesday of the following week (8 calendar days later)	7 days	double time
Told on a Monday, rest day is the Wednesday of the following week (9 calendar days later)	8 days	time and a half
Told on the 1st of the month, rest day is the 19th (18 calendar days later)	17 days	time and a half
Told on the 1st of the month, rest day is the 20th (19 calendar days later)	18 days	Another rest day

So a rest day 8 calendar days after you are told is still double time, because only 7 days count. And a rest day 18 calendar days after you are told is still paid, at time and a half, because only 17 days count. Note the date you were told and keep the message or roster change.

What to write down

The date you were told, who told you, how (roster change, email, call), the date of the rest day and the hours you worked. Those five facts decide the band, the minimum and whether travelling time is due.

Reinstated rest days and double-lock rest days

Stood down from a re-rostered rest day

If a rest day was re-rostered for an operational need and you are then told you are no longer needed (handbook 1.7):

More than 7 days' notice of the stand-down: you take the rest day, with no compensation.
Less than 8 days' notice: you choose between taking the rest day without compensation or working. If you work, you work at least 4 hours, paid by the notice you had of the original requirement: under 8 days double time, under 18 days time and a half, 18 days or more another rest day.

Example: a constable on point 5 was told 6 days ahead to work a rest day, then stood down 3 days before it and chose to work. Four hours at double time: £172.77. A reinstated rest day also counts towards the Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance, unless you volunteered for a double-lock deployment.

Double-lock rest days

For specific events or operations the chief constable and the staff association can agree a "double-lock" arrangement in advance (handbook 2.8.1). Officers notified at least 18 days ahead are paid time and a half for each completed 15 minutes, instead of only getting another rest day. Notice should be at least 28 days, or 91 days for known high-demand events where possible. Volunteers must have registered an interest first and an accepted volunteer request cannot be withdrawn unless the chief constable agrees. Officers given less than 18 days' notice keep their normal (higher) entitlements. Inspecting and superintending ranks are only included if both sides agree.

An 8-hour double-lock shift for a constable on point 5 is worth £259.15. Volunteering for a double-lock deployment does not count towards the Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance.

Public holiday working

Police Scotland officers' public holidays are 1 January and 25 December, which can be swapped for other days for religious or cultural reasons (handbook 3.3). The public holiday is a force day starting at 0700. See annual leave and public holidays for how they fit with your leave.

Required to work on a public holiday (handbook 2.6)
Who	Less than 8 days' notice	8 days or more
All federated ranks (constable to chief inspector)	Minimum 4 hours at double time, travelling time and another public holiday	Minimum 4 hours at double time and travelling time
Superintending ranks	Another rest day	Another rest day

Inspecting ranks were added from the date of the 2025 pay agreement (PNBS Circular 2025/09). Part-time officers do not need to have worked 40 hours in the week. A start time advanced into a public holiday (for example from 0700 on a working day to 0500 on a public holiday) gets the same compensation, depending on notice.

Public holiday examples at 1 April 2026 pay
Situation	Paid hours	Before tax	Also
PC point 5 works 25 December, rostered with 30 days' notice, 8 hours	8 h x 2	£345.54	-
PC point 5 called in on 1 January with 2 days' notice, 2 hours	4 h x 2	£172.77	plus 1.5 h travelling time; Another public holiday as well (less than 8 days’ notice)
Sergeant point 4 works 1 January, 5 days' notice, 9 hours	9 h x 2	£526.51	Another public holiday as well (less than 8 days’ notice)
Inspector point 1 works 25 December, 3 days' notice, 8 hours	8 h x 2	£517.50	Another public holiday as well (less than 8 days’ notice)
Chief inspector point 1 works 1 January, 20 days' notice, 3 hours	4 h x 2	£291.71	plus 1.5 h travelling time
Superintendent point 1 works 25 December	No pay	-	Another rest day

Travelling time is only due for public holiday work of less than six hours, so the 8 and 9 hour shifts above attract none.

Kept on duty from a nightshift

Night shifts often run past 0700 into the next force day. Quick Reference K sets the compensation by what that next day was:

Detained on duty from nightshift (Quick Reference K)
The next force day was	Compensation
A working day	Time and a third for each completed 15 minutes
A rest day (not part of annual leave)	Double time for each completed 15 minutes
A public holiday you were rostered to work	Minimum 4 hours at double time
A public holiday you were not rostered to work	Minimum 4 hours at double time plus another public holiday
Annual leave, or a rest day inside a period of annual leave	One day back plus a day's pay at double time, or two days back
A single annual leave day not part of a period of leave	One day's annual leave back

Being kept on from nightshift past 0700 into a rest day also counts as a disruption for the Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance (handbook 4.1).

Required to work during annual leave

Quick Reference J covers duty during a period of annual leave: an absence of 4 or more days that includes at least one annual leave day (the rest can be rest days, TOIL, public holidays or monthly leave days). It applies to all federated and superintending ranks.

Working an annual leave or TOIL day: your choice of the day back plus one day's pay at double time, or two days' annual leave.
Working a rest day inside the leave period: your choice of the rest day back plus one day's pay at double time, or two rest days.
A public holiday inside the leave period: handbook 2.6 applies.
This compensation cannot be taken as TOIL and extra annual leave days cannot be turned into TOIL or re-rostered rest days.
A day's pay is 8 hours, or the equivalent for other shift patterns and part-time officers.

For a constable on point 5 a day's pay at double time is 8 x £21.60 x 2 = £345.54, on top of getting the day back. Leave entitlements by service are on our annual leave guide.

Relevant travelling time

Travelling time is a fixed 1.5 hours for the return journey (45 minutes each way), not your actual travel time (handbook 1.9 and Quick Reference C). It applies on a recall, a split shift, or rest day or public holiday work of less than six hours and it is cut where duty plus travel would exceed six hours. There must be an extra journey to and from home, so a recall or requirement to work that runs into your normal period of duty does not attract it. The governing provisions are Regulation 14(4) and Annex 8.

Relevant travelling time by hours of duty (handbook 1.9)
Duty worked	Travelling time	Duty plus travel
1 hours	1.5 hours	2.5 hours
2 hours	1.5 hours	3.5 hours
4 hours	1.5 hours	5.5 hours
4.5 hours	1.5 hours	6 hours
5 hours	1 hours	6 hours
5.5 hours	0.5 hours	6 hours
6 hours	0 hours	6 hours
8 hours	0 hours	8 hours

The handbook's own illustrations: five hours worked earns one hour of travelling time and 5.5 hours earns 0.5 hours. Our calculators show travelling time in hours rather than pounds because the handbook pages we read do not say what rate it is paid at.

Part-time officers

Part-time officers of any rank get plain time (or TOIL) for additional hours above their determined hours, up to 40 hours in the relevant week (a 7-day period from 0700 on Monday unless another time is fixed). Hours above 40 are overtime at the rate for their rank: time and a third for constables and sergeants (handbook 2.2 and Quick Reference A). The 40-hour test uses determined hours plus additional hours actually worked.

Rest day and public holiday compensation does not wait for 40 hours: it applies as soon as a part-time officer is required to work a rest day or public holiday and those hours count towards the 40. The handbook's three examples on 30 determined hours, priced for a constable on point 5 (£21.60 an hour, the full-time scale x 6/12520):

Part-time officer on 30 determined hours (Quick Reference A examples, 2026 pay)
Week	Plain time	Overtime	Extra pay before tax
30 + 12 = 42 hours	10 h at plain time	2 h at time and a third	£273.55
30 + 14 = 44 hours	10 h at plain time	4 h at time and a third	£331.14
30 + 4 = 34 hours	4 h at plain time	None	£86.38

Additional hours are not pensionable: for part-time members, pensionable earnings are only the pay attributable to determined hours (Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015 reg 24(2)(b)).

Inspecting and superintending ranks

No overtime or TOIL for casual overtime, recalls or moved start times (inspector and above).
Rest day worked: another rest day. With less than 48 hours' notice of the start time and at least 4 hours worked, the Short-notice Rest Day Working Allowance of £112.05 a qualifying day is paid as well (handbook 4.9; rate from PNBS Circular 2026/04). It is not pensionable.
Public holiday: inspectors and chief inspectors are paid as above (minimum 4 hours at double time); superintendents and chief superintendents get another rest day.
Working during annual leave: Quick Reference J applies to every rank.
Part-time officers of any rank get plain time for additional hours up to 40 in the week.

So an inspector on point 1 (£67,491) called in on a rest day with a day's notice for an 8-hour shift gets another rest day plus £112.05. The same inspector working 25 December at short notice gets £517.50 before tax plus another public holiday. The rules for promotion to these ranks are on our promotion guide.

Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance

On top of rest day pay, constables to chief superintendents get the Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance (£25.99 from 1 April 2026) on the fourth and every later disrupted rest day in a rolling 42-day period (handbook 4.1, PNB Circular 2018/03).

Count back 42 days from a disrupted rest day, with that day as day one (30 April as day one makes 20 March day 42). If three or more other rest days in that window were disrupted, the day qualifies.
Only rest days on the published duty roster or a reinstated rest day count. Being detained from nightshift past 0700 into a rest day counts.
A requirement notified more than 91 days ahead (the roster runs a rolling 13 weeks) is not a disruption.
Not counted: changes you asked for, days you report unfit, promptly corrected errors, on-call on a rest day without being required to work, rosters changed with 28 days' notice and volunteered double-lock deployments.

Example: a constable whose rest days were disrupted on 2, 9 and 16 April and again on 23 April gets £25.99 for 23 April (the fourth in 42 days) and again for each later disrupted rest day while three others sit inside the 42-day window. Every allowance rate is on our allowances 2026 page.

A month of extra duty, before and after tax

Real overtime comes in mixtures. Here are two illustrative months at 1 April 2026 pay, with take-home worked out on the year's salary using Scottish income tax 2026/27 and National Insurance.

Constable on point 5 (£45,064)
Extra duty	Each	Total
Kept on 47 minutes, three times	3 x £21.60	£64.79
Recalled at 0200 to an incident, 1 h 30 m	£115.18	£115.18
Rest day worked, 6 days' notice, 8 hours	£345.54	£345.54
Rest day worked, 12 days' notice, 8 hours	£259.15	£259.15
Month total		£784.66

The constable earns £784.66 before tax for the month, plus travelling time on the recall. Income tax takes £164.78 and National Insurance £62.77, leaving £557.11 (29% deducted). No pension comes off it.

Sergeant on point 1 (£56,455)
Extra duty	Each	Total
Kept on 1 h 35 m, twice	2 x £54.11	£108.22
Rest day worked, 5 days' notice, 10 hours	£541.10	£541.10
Month total		£649.32

The sergeant earns £649.32 and keeps £363.62: tax £272.72 and NI £12.99, because sergeant pay sits in the 42% band and above the NI upper limit.

These are annual approximations. PAYE and NI are worked out per pay period (pay day is the 28th of each month under handbook 2.11), so a single heavy month can show more or less deducted, which usually evens out over the tax year. Put your own figures into the Police Scotland salary calculator to see the monthly effect.

Tax, National Insurance and pension on overtime

Overtime is taxed at your top Scottish rate after pension, plus National Insurance. The 13.7% pension contribution comes off your basic pay before tax, which moves your taxable pay down: a constable on point 5 has £38,890 of taxable pay, so overtime is taxed at 21% (intermediate) rather than 42%. NI is charged on gross pay at 8% up to £50,270 and 2% above.

What you keep from each £100 of overtime, 2026/27
Point	Basic pay	Taxable pay	Your band	Kept from £100	Deducted
PC commencing	£34,001	£29,343	Basic (20%)	£72.00	28%
PC 1	£36,995	£31,927	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 2	£39,988	£34,510	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 3	£42,377	£36,571	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 4	£43,683	£37,698	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 5	£45,064	£38,890	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 6	£46,321	£39,975	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 7	£47,440	£40,941	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 8	£48,940	£42,235	Intermediate (21%)	£71.00	29%
PC 9	£51,842	£44,740	Higher (42%)	£56.00	44%
PC 10	£52,873	£45,629	Higher (42%)	£56.00	44%
PC 11	£54,597	£47,117	Higher (42%)	£56.00	44%
Sgt 1	£56,455	£48,721	Higher (42%)	£56.00	44%
Sgt 2	£57,637	£49,741	Higher (42%)	£56.00	44%
Sgt 3	£59,312	£51,186	Higher (42%)	£56.00	44%
Sgt 4	£61,036	£52,674	Higher (42%)	£56.00	44%

Two groups stand out. Constables up to point 8 keep £71.00 of each £100 for small amounts of overtime. From point 9 and for every sergeant, taxable pay is already in the 42% band but gross pay is over £50,270, so the rate is 42% plus 2%: £56.00 kept.

The 50% slice in a heavy overtime year

Overtime adds the same amount to taxable pay and to gross pay. A constable on point 5 (£45,064) has £38,890 of taxable pay, £4,771.77 below the Scottish 42% band. Gross pay is £5,206.00 below the NI upper limit. The 42% band is reached first, so a heavy year passes through a slice taxed at 42% while NI is still 8%:

£6,000 of overtime in a year, constable on point 5
Slice	Rates	You keep	Deducted
First £4,771.77	Intermediate 21% + 8% NI	£3,387.96	29%
Next £434.23	Higher 42% + 8% NI	£217.12	50%
Last £794.00	Higher 42% + 2% NI	£444.64	44%
All £6,000	Overall	£4,049.71	32.5%

This only happens for officers whose basic pay is below about £48,226 (where 13.7% pension leaves taxable pay reaching the 42% band before gross pay reaches £50,270): constables up to point 7. For points 8 to 11 the NI limit comes first and the slice in between is 21% plus 2%. The width of the 50% slice is small, but it explains why a big overtime month can look heavily taxed. Our Scottish income tax guide explains the bands.

Pension

In the 2015 Scottish scheme, pensionable earnings are pay at the rate you are entitled to plus on-call allowance earnings; for part-time members, only pay attributable to determined hours (Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015 reg 24, as substituted from 1 January 2023). Overtime is not on that list. So no 13.7% contribution is taken from overtime and it builds no pension. If your payslip shows pension taken from overtime, ask payroll. See the Police Scotland pension explained and the Police Scotland pension calculator.

Time off in lieu

You can take time off in lieu instead of pay: "the decision to request to take time off rather than receive payment is one for the officer not the service" (handbook 2.5). TOIL is at the same multiplier as the payment, so 3 hours of rest day working at double time is 6 hours off. TOIL is not taxed when you take it because you are simply paid your normal salary for the day off. For an officer in the 42% band, taking TOIL rather than cash can be the better deal.

How to claim and check your payslip

Record it on the day. Actual start and finish times, where you went and whether you attended a station, incident or court. Completed 15 minutes and attendance decide the money.
Record the notice. When and how you were told, for rest days and public holidays. Count it under handbook 1.5: leave out both the day you were told and the day of duty.
Choose pay or TOIL. The choice is yours, except for annual leave compensation, which cannot be TOIL.
Add travelling time and mileage. 1.5 hours (cut above 6 hours of duty in total) on recalls, split shifts and short rest day or public holiday work; mileage for rest days worked on less than 18 days' notice.
Check the hourly rate. Annual pay x 6/12520. A constable on point 5 should see £21.60 at plain time, £28.79 at time and a third, £32.39 at time and a half and £43.19 at double time. Use the table above for other points.
Check the month. Find the payslip that carries each occasion and match each line to your record.
Check the deductions. No pension should come off overtime. Tax at your Scottish band and NI at 8% or 2%.
Count disrupted rest days. On the fourth in a rolling 42 days, look for the £25.99 Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance.
Query it promptly. Raise any gap with your supervisor or payroll and keep your record. The Scottish Police Federation can help federated members.

Quick check with the calculator

Enter each occasion into the Police Scotland overtime calculator and compare the gross with your payslip line. A difference of a quarter hour usually means a rounding point; a third or more usually means the wrong notice band.

Scotland vs England and Wales

Police Scotland officers are paid under the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 and PNBS determinations, not the England and Wales Police Regulations 2003. Many guides online describe the England and Wales rules. The main differences:

Overtime and rest day rules compared (England and Wales column from our England and Wales overtime guide, Police Regulations 2003 determinations)
Rule	Police Scotland (PNBS handbook)	England and Wales
Casual overtime rate	Time and a third per completed 15 minutes	Time and a third
Short overruns	Every completed 15 minutes counts	The first 30 minutes is unpaid on four occasions a week
Rest day, short notice	Under 8 days double time; 8 to under 18 days time and a half	Under 15 days time and a half
Rest day becomes a normal day	18 days' notice or more	15 days' notice or more
Public holiday	Minimum 4 hours double time, all federated ranks	Double time
Inspectors on public holidays	Paid since the 2025 pay agreement	See our England and Wales guide
Overtime pensionable?	No (SSI 2015/142 reg 24)	See our England and Wales guide
Tax on overtime	Scottish bands: 21% or 42% for most officers	UK bands: 20% or 40%

If you serve in England or Wales, use our England and Wales overtime rates guide and the police overtime calculator. Thinking of moving south or north? Our transfers guide and the Scotland vs England pay comparison cover the rest.

We corrected our tools

Our general overtime calculator used to offer an England and Wales "under 15 days" rest day preset in Scotland mode and the 2025/26 tax bands. It now uses the Scottish 8 and 18 day bands and 2026/27 bands and the Police Scotland overtime calculator applies every rule on this page.

Common mistakes

Applying the English 30-minute rule. It is not in the Scottish handbook. Every completed 15 minutes counts.
Counting notice in calendar days. Both the day you were told and the day of duty are left out, so 8 calendar days is 7 days' notice.
Using the English 15-day band. Scotland's bands are 8 and 18 days.
Forgetting the attendance minimum. Attending a station, incident or court on a short-notice rest day is at least 4 hours plus travelling time, even for a 1-hour court case.
Missing the night recall minimum. A recall starting between 2300 and 0700 is at least 1 hour, or 4 hours if you attend.
Using a 1,930 or 2,080-hour divisor. The handbook formula is annual x 6/12520.
Assuming inspectors get nothing on public holidays. Since the 2025 agreement they get double time.
Taking pension off overtime in a budget. Overtime is not pensionable earnings in the 2015 Scottish scheme.
Assuming overtime is taxed at 20%. Most constables pay 21% plus 8% NI and from point 9 it is 42% plus 2%.
Not claiming travelling time and mileage. Both are separate from the payment for the hours worked.

What we could not verify

The rate at which relevant travelling time is paid. The handbook fixes the hours (1.5, cut above 6 hours in total) but the pages we read do not state the rate, so we do not put a money value on it.
The exact text of Regulation 17, 18 and Annexes 7 and 8: we worked from the PNBS handbook pages, which summarise them.
Whether "less than 8 days" and "more than 7 days" in the reinstatement rule cover a stand-down with exactly 7 days' notice the same way. The handbook wording leaves that case unclear.
How quickly Police Scotland pays overtime after it is worked. The handbook gives the pay date (the 28th) but not the cut-off for extra duty.
Court attendance rules beyond the 12-hour due notice for unforeseen court, which we have not summarised.
The pay of chief officers for extra duty: chief officers are outside the PNBS handbook rules described here.

Read alongside: Police Scotland officers hub, on-call allowance, allowances 2026, Islands Allowance, maternity pay and ranks and pay.

Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overtime rate for Police Scotland?

Time and a third for constables and sergeants, paid for each completed 15 minutes, or taken as time off in lieu at the officer's choice (PNBS handbook 2.3 and Quick Reference B). Inspectors and above get no overtime.

How is the Police Scotland hourly rate worked out?

Annual pay x 6/12520 (PNBS handbook 2.11). That is the same as a week's pay (annual / 52 1/6) divided by five 8-hour days. For a constable on point 5 (£45,064) it is £21.60 an hour, so time and a third is £28.79.

What is the rest day rate in Police Scotland?

Less than 8 days' notice: double time. At least 8 and less than 18 days: time and a half. At least 18 days: another rest day. Minimum 1 hour if you are not required to attend a station, incident or court; 4 hours plus relevant travelling time if you are (handbook 2.5).

How are days' notice counted in Police Scotland?

Ignore both the day you are told and the day you are required to work (handbook 1.5). So being told on a Monday that you must work a rest day on the Tuesday of the following week is 7 days' notice, which is still double time.

When does a rest day stop being a rest day?

Only when it is re-rostered with at least 18 days' notice (handbook 2.5). Working it with less notice is a requirement to work on a rest day and is compensated.

What is a recall to duty worth in Police Scotland?

Time and a third. A recall starting between 2300 and 0700 has a minimum of 1 hour, or 4 hours plus travelling time if you must attend a station, incident or court. Between 0700 and 2300 you are paid for each completed 15 minutes plus travelling time where it applies. The start time of the recall decides the minimum (Quick Reference C).

Do Police Scotland inspectors get paid for public holidays?

Yes. Since the 2025 pay agreement, public holiday compensation applies to all federated ranks, including inspectors and chief inspectors: a minimum of 4 hours at double time, travelling time and, with less than 8 days' notice, another public holiday (handbook 2.6, PNBS Circular 2025/09).

Do inspectors get overtime in Police Scotland?

No. Overtime applies to constables and sergeants only (handbook 2.3). An inspector or chief inspector required to work a rest day gets another rest day and, with less than 48 hours' notice of the start time and at least 4 hours worked, the Short-notice Rest Day Working Allowance of £112.05 from 1 April 2026.

Is the first 30 minutes of overtime unpaid in Scotland?

That is an England and Wales rule. The PNBS handbook pays casual overtime for each completed 15 minutes worked and does not contain the unpaid 30 minutes rule.

Can I choose time off instead of overtime pay?

Yes. The handbook says the decision to take time off in lieu rather than payment is for the officer, not the service. The exception is compensation for working during annual leave, which cannot be taken as TOIL (Quick Reference J).

Do part-time officers get overtime rates?

Part-time officers of any rank are paid, or get TOIL, at plain time for additional hours up to 40 hours in the week, then at the overtime rate for their rank above 40. They do not need to work 40 hours before rest day or public holiday compensation applies (handbook 2.2, 2.5 and 2.6).

Is Police Scotland overtime pensionable?

Pensionable earnings in the 2015 Scottish scheme are pay at your rate plus on-call allowance earnings (Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015 reg 24). Overtime is not listed, so it does not build pension and our calculators take no 13.7% contribution from it.

How much tax do Scottish officers pay on overtime?

It depends on your pay point. A constable on point 5 keeps £710.00 of each £1,000 (21% tax plus 8% NI). From constable point 9 and for every sergeant the rate is 42% tax plus 2% NI, so £560.00 of each £1,000 is kept.

What happens if I am kept on from a nightshift into a rest day?

Each completed 15 minutes after 0700 is paid at double time, or taken as TOIL (handbook 2.5 and Quick Reference K). If the next day is a public holiday you get a minimum of 4 hours at double time.

Do I get mileage when called in on a rest day?

PNBS Circular 2025/09 gave an entitlement to mileage on a rest day worked with less than 18 days' notice from 1 April 2025, at HMRC-aligned rates.

What is a double-lock rest day?

A deployment for a specific event or operation that the chief constable and the staff association have agreed in advance. Officers notified at least 18 days ahead are paid time and a half for each completed 15 minutes instead of just getting another rest day (handbook 2.8.1).

Evidence

Sources and how we checked them

Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 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 handbook 2.3 Overtime : what overtime covers; constables and sergeants only; Regulation 17, Annex 7 (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook Quick Reference B: casual overtime : time and a third per completed 15 minutes; TOIL choice; force day starts 0700 (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook Quick Reference C: recall to duty : minimums between 2300 and 0700; start time decides; the 2245 and 0630 examples (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 2.4 Requirement to work on a working day : start time advanced or deferred; 24 hours (12 for unforeseen court) (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 2.5 Required to work on a rest day : notice bands; minimums; advanced start; detained into a rest day; 18-day re-rostering (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 1.5 Calculation of days' notice : both the day of notice and the day of duty are disregarded (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 1.7 Reinstatement of rest days : stood down from a re-rostered rest day (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook Quick Reference G: double-lock rest day compensation : time and a half per completed 15 minutes, 18 days' notice (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 2.6 Required to work on a public holiday : all federated ranks; minimum 4 hours double time; Regulation 18, Annex 8 (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook Quick Reference K: detained on duty from nightshift : working day, rest day, public holiday and annual leave cases (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook Quick Reference J: requirement to work during annual leave : a day's pay at double time or two days back; no TOIL (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 1.9 Travelling time : 1.5 hours; reduced above 6 hours in total; extra journey needed (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 2.2 and Quick Reference A: part-time officers : plain time to 40 hours; worked examples on 30 determined hours (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 2.11 Calculation of pay : annual x 6/12520; weekly; a day's pay for overtime is a week / 5; paid on the 28th (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 4.1 Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance : fourth and later disrupted rest day in a rolling 42 days; exclusions (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS handbook 4.9 Short-notice Rest Day Working Allowance : under 48 hours' notice, at least 4 hours worked (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS Circular 2025/09 : public holiday compensation for inspecting ranks; rest day mileage (accessed 23 October 2026)
PNBS Circulars 2026/01 and 2026/04 : pay and allowance rates from 1 April 2026 (accessed 23 October 2026)
Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015, reg 24 : pensionable earnings: pay at your rate plus on-call allowance (accessed 23 October 2026)
GOV.UK: Scottish Income Tax : 2026/27 bands used for take-home (accessed 23 October 2026)
Police Regulations 2003 (England and Wales), regs 25 and 26 : England and Wales comparison only; rates sit in Home Office determinations (accessed 23 October 2026)

Related Guides

On this topic elsewhere

Police Scotland overtime calculator → Your own shift, with take-home. Police Scotland salary calculator → Monthly take-home with overtime added. Police Scotland on-call allowance → £43.68 a period and what a call-out pays. Police Scotland allowances 2026 → Disruption and short-notice allowances. Scottish income tax for officers → Why overtime is taxed the way it is. Annual leave and public holidays → 28 to 39 days and the two fixed holidays.

Police Scotland officers

More in this guide series

Start here Police Scotland officers hub Every guide and calculator for serving Police Scotland officers, from PNBS pay to the Scottish 2015 pension. Ranks Ranks in order Every rank from constable to chief constable, what each wears and what each is paid. Ranks DS, DI, DCI, DCS meaning What the detective abbreviations stand for in Scotland and what each rank earns. Pay Pay rise 2027/28 tracker The PNBS 2025/09 deal, the 2026 inflation guarantee test due by 31 January 2027 and the 2027/28 claim. Pay Scottish income tax 2026/27 The six Scottish bands, the 42% band below the NI limit and take-home at each pay point. Allowances Allowances 2026 On-call, disruption, dog handler, plain clothes, minimum standards and the Islands Allowance. Allowances Islands Allowance The four national rates, which islands get which and how it is paid. Allowances On-call allowance The 2026 rate, the 20% rises in 2025 and 2026 and the joint review due by April 2027. Pension Pension explained 1/56.1 accrual, flat 13.7% contributions, pension age 60 and the 1987 and 2006 schemes. Pension McCloud remedy in Scotland The 2015 to 2022 remedy period, the ABS-RSS and the choice you make at retirement. Leave Annual leave Leave by length of service, public holidays and what superintendents get. Family Maternity pay The rise from 18 to 26 weeks from April 2026, half-pay options and what is still to confirm. Career Promotion No written exam: the qualifying diploma, the Police Leadership Development Programme and inspector assessment centres. Career Transfers Who can transfer in, the process, pay on arrival, no probation and what to check before moving south.

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Police Scotland calculators and related guides

Calculator Police Scotland pension calculator Your 2015 Scottish scheme pension at 1/56.1, with the McCloud remedy choice for legacy members. Calculator Police Scotland overtime calculator PNBS hourly rate, rest day notice bands, public holidays and take-home after Scottish tax. Calculator Police Scotland salary calculator Take-home pay by rank and pay point with Scottish income tax, 13.7% pension and the Islands Allowance. Pay Police Scotland pay scales Every rank and pay point from the PNBS circulars. Pay Scotland vs England pay Gross and take-home pay compared rank by rank. Injury Injury and ill-health The Scottish injury regulations, the SPA, SPPA and appeals to the sheriff. Pension Pension divorce in Scotland The relevant date, the marriage-only share and SPPA charges.

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 23 October 2026.

Police Scotland Overtime & Rest Day Working