Police officers in Scotland are leaving in droves because of misogyny, heavy workloads, stress and pension changes, exit survey data has revealed.
The findings, gathered by the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), showed that concerns over welfare, leadership and misogyny featured in around three in 10 officers’ decisions to leave Police Scotland in recent months, while almost half left because of changes to their pensions.
A total of 546 officers left the force through retirement or resignation between October 2023 and April 2024, with 253 responding to the federation’s survey.
One female inspector said misogyny forced her to leave Police Scotland, while a PC left because of a refusal to consider flexible working to accommodate childcare.
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Others complained of a “complete lack of any strategic leadership” and “a do-more-with-less attitude” among managers. Some described resources and staffing levels as “ridiculous”.
Police Scotland has been at the centre of several prominent cases involving misogyny and sexism, and last week 11 officers were suspended or put on restricted duties being investigated for allegedly racist and misogynistic WhatsApp messages.
The messages were said to have included derogatory remarks and offensive jokes about senior officers in the force.
David Threadgold, chair of the SPF, told justice and social affairs publication 1919 Magazine: “Unfortunately, the data provided by those leaving the service only serves to corroborate what we hear day after day regarding the current situation in Police Scotland.
“Constant disruption to days off and annual leave, incessant demand against a backdrop of falling numbers, lack of appropriate training, and a feeling that the welfare of police officers across Scotland is merely words on a piece of paper rather than action, are real issues and creating a perfect storm in terms of officer recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction within policing in Scotland.
“Those who remain in service are entitled to feel valued by the organisation and should expect nothing less than support from their managers when it comes to processing the impact of being a police officer. Sadly, too often this does not appear to be the case, this is further evidenced by increasing absence through physical and mental health conditions.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “As with all organisations, Police Scotland works hard to ensure we recruit the best talent in what can be challenging employment markets. We are working towards creating an inclusive and fair working environment, free from discrimination which responds to the needs of a diverse and multi-generational workforce whilst ensuring we deliver for our communities.
“We also take proactive steps to recruit a more diverse workforce including more women and have women leading at every level in Police Scotland. Additional steps have been taken to support this including providing gender-specific body armour, a continued focus on support for flexible working and ensuring selection panels reflect our diversity.
“The police officer job is unique and rewarding and we recruit people who live and work by our values of integrity, fairness and respect and have a commitment to public service.”
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