RESEARCH
INADEQUATE FACILITIES There is a recurring theme of insufficient or poor-quality facilities for taking breaks. Fewer than a quarter of respondents who said they had a base, had access to fresh hot food such as a canteen. The vast majority said provision was a kitchenette or a basic space, often with poor or inadequate seating. Respondents described break rooms used for meetings, people working out of them, or used for printers and battery pack storage and similar.
“Broken oven, two microwaves
and an air fryer. Questionable water supply (legionnaires found several times and supply to toilets cut off).” Unhygienic conditions further
exacerbate the problem. The inadequate facilities at many police stations are a significant concern for officers. The lack of suitable places to rest during
shifts contributes to a sense of neglect among officers. The absence of proper break rooms, canteens, and comfortable seating areas means that officers do not have a suitable place to rest and recharge during their shifts. These poor facilities contribute to a sense of neglect and undervaluation among officers, impacting their morale and overall job satisfaction.
18 | POLICE | OCTOBER | 2025
IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH The constant exposure to a high- stress work environment without adequate breaks and a lack of proper break facilities removes any time to decompress and takes a toll on officer mental health. The data provides evidence that fewer officers are using break-time to make sense of traumatic events than they did previously, down from 34% to 20%.
“There is no place to vent. Instead, stress is allowed to build up until we break.”
Unsurprisingly, fewer officers are using breaks to de-stress than they did previously down from 40 per cent to 23 per cent. “In my role as a response sergeant, I do not get allocated breaks. There is no one else to cover to even allow me 10/15 mins to decompress or to have some time away from the radio. I am constantly working on ‘high alert’ for 9/10/11 hours a shift. It’s simply not sustainable and feels like I’m heading towards burning out myself (which takes a lot to admit).”
The inability to step away from work even
for a short time means that officers are continually under stress. This continuous pressure leads to burnout, compassion fatigue, and a decline in overall mental health. The lack of support from senior management in ensuring that officers take breaks further exacerbates the problem, making officers feel undervalued and unsupported in their roles.
ISOLATION AND LACK OF TEAM BONDING Without shared break spaces, officers feel isolated and miss out on opportunities to build relationships and team trust. The data provides evidence that fewer officers are using breaks to build
a feeling a safety, down from 37% to 21%. Similarly, fewer officers are using breaks to build a sense of community, down from 44% to 26%. Shared break spaces play a crucial role in fostering team bonding among officers. When officers had the opportunity to take breaks together, they could discuss their experiences, share insights, and support each other. This camaraderie helped build trust and a sense of community within the team.
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