FOI 394/25

REQUEST

I was wondering whether you were able to send me part of your Sickness Absence Policy.

The part I’m interested in the most is the entitlements to sick pay for police staff and police officers - i.e. the section that states length of service & how many weeks/months of sick pay someone would be entitled to.

RESPONSE

We consulted with our Human Resources (HR) Department who have provided the following information in relation to your request.

Please see attached document entitled ‘sickeness-absence-procedure-V14_Redacted 394_25’

4.3 and 4.4 cover sickness pay

4.3 Entitlement to OSP: Police Officers - Regulation 28 A police officer who is on sick leave is entitled to receive full pay for a period of 6 months in any one year period, thereafter they are entitled to half pay for 6 months in any one year period and then no pay. Entitlement to sick pay and the rate of sick pay is calculated by deducting from the officer’s entitlement the total number of days absent through sickness during the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of current absence. The presumption within the Regulations is pay will automatically be reduced/cease when entitlement to OSP is exhausted.

4.4 Entitlement to OSP: Police Staff Entitlement to OSP for police staff is dependent on length of service and accrues as follows: During 1st year of service 1-month full pay and after 4 months service, 2 months half pay During 2nd year of service 2 months full / 2 months half pay During 3rd year of service 4 months full / 4 months half pay During 4th and 5th year of service 5 months full / 5 months half pay After 5 years’ service 6 months full / 6 months half pay

SICKNESS ABSENCE Entitlement to sick pay and the rate of sick pay is calculated by deducting from the entitlement the total number of days absent through sickness during the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of current absence. The presumption within the Police Staff Handbook/Conditions of Service is that pay will automatically be reduced/cease when entitlement to OSP is exhausted.

In relation to the redacted information the following exemption applies:

Section 40(2) - Personal Information

Section 40(2) is an absolute class-based exemption and therefore the authority is not required to consider the public interest in disclosure.

The Data Protection Act covers processing of personal data about a living individual.  Personal data means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified-

1. from those data, or
2. from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual.

Information will “relate to” a person if it is about them, linked to them, has some biographical significance for them, is used to inform decisions affecting them, has them as its main focus or impacts on them in any way.

If we disclosed these details, this would provide significant detail which could identify an individual and would breach the first principle of the Data Protection Act 2018.

In accordance with the Act, this letter represents a refusal notice for your request.