Tougher police absence rules urged

Feb 19 2010

Police forces need to crack down hard on absence levels, a report has claimed.

Tighter regulations are required to enable Scotland's eight forces to confront officers who are frequently absent from work, the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland report said.

The attendance management report wants to see a tougher stance by managers, who are less likely than their private sector counterparts to instigate disciplinary proceedings or fire officers who abuse occupational sick pay schemes. Research has shown this reluctance to act is typical across the public sector.