Ministers take aim at 'boomerang bosses' in fire services

Senior fire officers will be barred from being re-employed in roles similar to those from which they have just retired, Fire Minister Brandon Lewis has said.

His move follows a speech last May by then Home Secretary Theresa May, who said: “It can never be justified for chief and principal fire officers to retire one day only to be rehired in the same job just a few days later with financial benefits that rank and file firefighters could never expect.

“It looks wrong; it erodes public confidence; it undermines the respect of firefighters and staff in their leadership. It must stop.”

New guidelines would end situations such as where a long-serving chief fire officer on a typical salary of around £140,000 could access a lump sum from their pension pot of more than £400,000 and then avoid employee pension contributions of more than £20,000 a year after being re-employed in the same role.

Lewis said the Government had urged fire authorities to end the practice, but had decided to act as it was continuing in some areas.

Re-employment would be permitted only where authorities could show “an exceptional public safety need”.

The minister said: “This government is reforming the fire service to make it more accountable, efficient and effective in performing its vital duties on behalf of the public.

“So I’m going to rewrite fire service rules to stop authorities employing boomerang bosses – and conduct a wider review of the guidelines to help drive the government’s reform programme.”

The Home Office will consult on the proposals until 4 April.

Mark Smulian