Secondary employment

Ref: FOI/23131

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST  

West Midlands Fire Service has now completed its search for the information requested on 28^th September 2023

Please find below a summary of our findings.

Request.

1. How many wmfs employees have secondary employment
2. What are these jobs and how many employees do that role e.g self employed gardener x15/ part time bar work x11

Reply

This information is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the requestor. Information concerning secondary employment can be found on West Midlands Fire Service website at the following link:

https://www.wmfs.net/foi/23020-secondary-employment/

https://www.wmfs.net/documents/foi23020-secondary-employment/

This data is updated on an annual basis and will be due for update in the future.

Request

 3. If there is any information on retained firefighters, what service and how many employees work in that service as a secondary employment. e.g staffordshire fire and rescue x2 / shropshire fire and rescue x2

Reply

Disclosing exact figure for retained firefighters, what service and how many employees work in that service as a secondary employment may identify individuals and will contravene the 7 principles of the of UK GDPR.   Therefore, are exempt under section 40(2) of the freedom of information 2000.

However, to ensure privacy of individuals we have supplied you with a number range

Hereford and Worcester:  5 -10 

Mid and West Wales: 0- 5 

Shropshire: 5-10 

Staffs: 5-10 

Warwickshire: 0-5 

Request

4. what are the working hours for on call officers, hours per week worked, time on call, policy regarding disturbance in the middle of the night when they have a day shift to follow etc.

Reply

This information is exempt under section 1 of Freedom of Information Act 2000.  We do not record the hours worked etc is determined by the Service where the individual works as a retained firefighter.

Request

5. Can employees opt out of the working time directive?

Reply

Our secondary employment policy states:

Hours of duty must be worked within the rules set out in the Working Time Regulations and the Health and Safety at Work Regulations.  A minimum of an 11-hour break should be taken between shifts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the employee, their colleagues and the community of the West Midlands.

Please find below link to WMFS Outside and Secondary Contracts policy

https://www.wmfs.net/legal-terms-policy/outside-employment-and-secondary-contracts-policy/

If you have any queries about this freedom of information request, please contact us.  Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

For service complaints, issues or comments regarding this request please contact The Public Relations Department, West Midlands Fire Service, 99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham, B7 4HW

Further information concerning Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner website at either the following link: https://ico.org.uk/ or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.