FOI Request
A recent social media post by the OPCC detailed hours worked within the OPCC please provide the same break down for each calendar month of 2019 and each so far of 2020 and for each list the total number of staff in the month.
FOI Response
Your request has been considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) and refused under Section 12 of the FOIA, as the costs associated with this request will surpass the cost limit of £450.
I have provided the below explanation as to how I have made this decision:
The method used to calculate the figure in our media release (total number of hours worked in April 2020) involved members of staff consulting their own flexi sheet, calculating their hours for April and sending them to another member of staff. An approximate total was then calculated.
To calculate the number of hours worked by a member of staff over an 18 month period would require a thorough assessment of their flexi sheet. As flexi sheets are not set out monthly, but over a four week period (e.g. it may run from 27 July to 23 August), it would take additional calculations to collate monthly totals.
This does not account for calculations needed to consider flexi leave, annual leave, special leave or any periods where the flexi sheet may not have been completed by the staff member.
I estimate that to conduct this work for one member of staff for an 18 month period would take approximately 2 hours. In multiplying this estimated time frame by the 25 people directly employed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, I estimate this would result in at least 50 hours of work.
The Freedom of Information Act sets a cost limit of £450 for public authorities in complying with an FOI request. The Act states public authorities should calculate the time spent on the permitted activities at the flat rate of £25 per person, per hour. 56 hours of work x £25 = £1,250 – which exceeds the cost limit significantly.
Under Section 16 of the FOIA, I am required to make a suggestion about what information we may be able to disclose that will meet the time limit. If we spend approximately 30 minutes per timesheet, this would come to £350. In 30 minutes, I estimate we could provide hours for two months of your choosing.
If this is a request you would like to make, please respond to this letter to confirm.
Date responded: 31 July 2020