Sir Ashley Fox MP has welcomed a Government proposal to give Special Constables a statutory right to reasonable time off work to carry out their policing duties, following a campaign he began in Parliament last year.
In March 2025, Ashley Fox called for a change to Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which gives employees carrying out certain public duties, including magistrates, school governors and local councillors, the right to reasonable time off work.
Despite Special Constables having the same powers and responsibilities as regular police officers, they were not included in the legislation.
Ashley Fox sought to change this through the Employment Rights Bill, arguing that giving Special Constables greater flexibility from their employment would help police forces recruit and retain more volunteers.
His proposal was initially voted down by the Government in March 2025. However, Ashley Fox continued to campaign on the issue and, after his amendment was later adopted in the House of Lords, the Government agreed to carry out a statutory review of the legislation.
That review has now concluded that Special Constables are a "notable omission" from the existing law and proposes that they should be entitled to time off under Section 50.
The Government's review found "comprehensive evidence" to support extending the entitlement to Special Constables. It concluded that giving them reasonable time off could support recruitment and retention, make it easier for volunteers to dedicate time consistently to policing and make the role accessible to people from a wider range of backgrounds.
The Government has now launched a consultation seeking views on how the existing right to time off for public duties works in practice and on proposed changes to the public duties covered by the legislation, including the addition of Special Constables.
Ashley Fox said:
"This is very welcome news and a significant step forward for a change I have been campaigning for since last year.
Special Constables give up their own time to serve our communities and have the same powers and responsibilities as regular police officers. It has never made sense to me that other important public duties are recognised in employment law, but Special Constables are not.
There is still a consultation to complete before any change is made, so I would encourage Special Constables, police forces, employers and anyone with an interest in supporting neighbourhood policing to take part and make their views known.
I hope the Government will listen to the responses and move ahead with this important change."
The consultation is open to members of the public and can be accessed here Time off for public duties - GOV.UK
The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 4 September 2026.
