Police chiefs to dock wages after overpaying Commonwealth Games cops

“Thanks for your help during Glasgow Games now give us back your overtime pay”

Police chiefs overpaid Commonwealth Games cops by three-figure sums and are now threatening to dock their wages to claw the cash back.

Frontline officers who were forced to give up annual leave and rest days during Glasgow 2014 have been told they were paid a combined sum of £200,000 too much after “errors” logging overtime hours.

Senior officials have since issued “repayment” notices telling them their wages will be cut to recoup the money.

Now those affected are calling for an independent inquiry with many having already spent the bonus cash in the run up to Christmas.

The dispute has caused a massive rift within Police Scotland and comes just days after scores of officers protested they hadn’t been paid for ANY of their Commonwealth Games overtime.

One officer said: “They’re saying that they’ve paid us more overtime than we were actually due. I certainly believe that I’ve been paid exactly what I was owed for the extra hours I worked.

“We were praised by everyone for our work during Glasgow 2014, helping every part of the Games run smoothly despite working long hours and having all leave and rest cancelled.

“Yet, now we’re being punished for what they claim is a mistake. It’s a disgrace.”

A letter sent out by force chiefs, seen by The Sunday Post, claims officers were overpaid “due to either a misinterpretation of Police Scotland Regulations” or “an error in the information contained on the original overtime claim form”.

Over the course of the Games, which ran from July 23 until August 3, bosses opted to ditch an electronic system routinely used to log overtime in place of a hand-written paper trail.

Officers who worked additional hours were required to fill in overtime pay docket forms, before handing them over to superiors.

Our source said many officers found it laborious and inconvenient.

The insider added: “It was a paper-based process for claiming overtime rather than the electronic system usually used. Everyone had problems with it.”

Brian Docherty, of Scottish Police Federation, said the organisation is working with the service to get this “sorted for our members”.

He said: “This could have and should have been done better, with these issues pointed out by us well in advance of the Games. It’s a shame it wasn’t sorted.

“The service will be keen to rectify this before the end of the financial year, which could have an impact on their budget.”

The error is the second high-profile blunder regarding overtime pay logged at last year’s Games, branded “the best ever” by Commonwealth bosses.

Scores of officers in Fife last week revealed they hadn’t received a penny of their overtime pay, five months after the Games finished.

One said: “What’s going on is affecting a lot of the guys, it is affecting morale.”

Assistant Chief Constable Nelson Telfer, of Police Scotland, confirmed a blueprint is in place to claw back overtime overpayments from officers.

He said: “Over 72,000 overtime claims were processed in connection with the Games, involving 10,000 individual officers.

“Many officers were working away from home on non-traditional shift patterns and on duties unique to the Games. This added complexity to making claims for overtime.

“Claims were scrutinised to ensure officers were paid in line with Police Service of Scotland regulations. As a result, it was discovered that, in a small number of cases, officers were overpaid.

“Action, agreed with the Scottish Police Federation, has been implemented to recover overpayments.”

Employers making accidental overpayments in wages do not need their employee’s consent to recover the money.

However, workers who feel they been punished unfairly may take their case to a tribunal.

Bosses to take back £50 a month

Police bosses will scrape back the overpaid cash by first cutting time off in lieu. They hope that will “minimise” the money eventually deducted from salaries.

However, if officers have failed to clock-up substantial time owed, instalments of £50 will be taken from future pay packets, starting next month.

A letter from Police Scotland HQ states: “In order to address the overpayment and to go some way to minimise the deduction of money from your salary, toil balances will be utilised in the first instance.

“If the toil balance is insufficient to cover the amount to be repaid, instalments of £50 per pay period before tax and National Insurance will begin with effect from your pay date in February, 2015.”

The letter adds “individual cases of financial hardship” will be considered and “alternative payment” plans can be agreed.