The Royal Cayman Islands Police Association is threatening to take legal action against Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne over a recalculation of vacation time for frontline officers, which the association says gives them seven fewer days of leave.
The association claims that a new shift in policy for uniform officers, in which they work four days on, four days off, has led to their 22 days of vacation a year being reduced to 15 days. During the four days on duty, officers work 12-hour shifts.
A press release from the police association on Monday states, “Despite the fact that there has been no change to the Regulations (or any other governing law), under the new Uniform Shift Policy, annual leave is now calculated and determined using a new ‘formula’ which amounts to a substantial reduction to the annual leave entitlement for police officers working an 8-Day Shift Cycle (Service delivery/frontline).
“This calculation represents a significant reduction to the annual leave entitlement for shift-based police officers, which the Royal Cayman Islands Police Association asserts is unlawful in that it is contrary to Schedule 1 of the Personnel Regulations (2019 Revision) and in contravention of a legitimate expectation of police officers.”
Byrne, in response to queries from the Cayman Compass on Monday, said he had “no comment at this time”.
Sharon Lewis, the police association’s secretary, told the Compass that staff in other departments within the RCIPS continued to have 22 days’ annual leave.
“It only affects the frontline staff,” she said. “If you are going to change [the leave policy], it should be across the board. It should be the same vacation time for everybody.”
The association has issued the commissioner with a letter before action, which is a formal legal warning of a pending lawsuit and a last chance to settle a dispute out of court.
Lewis said a proposal for new shift policy and leave calculation was sent out to staff last year and the association responded. “Our response was ignored,” Lewis said.
She said the new policy affects more than 100 frontline officers.
Promotion dispute
This is the second time this year that the police association has issued a letter before action to the police commissioner in relation to RCIPS staffing policies. In January, the association served the commissioner notice of potential legal action amid claims that officers were being denied the chance to apply for promotions within the service.
The association says police officers are being appointed to acting roles at an “alarming rate” and that some have been in interim posts for nearly four years. They suggest this approach is stifling the career progression of other qualified officers.
A statement issued by the association in January said there were approximately 21 officers who have been in acting roles for longer than the 12-month statutory time limit.
“The consequence of this is that other officers who have passed the promotion examination from as far back as 2007, have been denied an opportunity to be promoted to these roles,” the association said.
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Four days on four days off, does that mean they only work half of the year?. If so, do they really need an extra 4 weeks leave?.