MORE than one in 10 Scottish police superintendents and chief superintendents say they are bullied by their bosses.
A new survey finds growing concern among the ranks of Scotland's frontline operational leaders over the way they are managed under the single force.
Carried out by the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS), the study underlined what some critics have described as a culture of targets and long hours.
ASPS found 11 per cent felt bullied, including being intimidated, unfairly criticised or verbally insulted, up from a year before.
However, far more - as many as 85 per cent - felt supported by their managers.
A total of 94 per cent of those surveyed felt performance targets were top priority.
Police superintendents in England and Wales recently reported similar strains. A total of 124 of Scotland's 190 superintendents and chief superintendents took part in the survey, which was completed in May.
Chief Superintendent Niven Rennie, president of the ASPS, speaking in Police Oracle magazine, said: "There are cultural issues. It has become apparent that some of our members are not speaking out for fear that it might adversely affect their career prospects.
"Whether it is an actual or a perceived problem is not clear but it is more apparent there are a number of issues affecting superintendents and I don't know if this is being given the right level of priority. We intend to give it the priority it needs.
"There are clearly issues which are required to be addressed and this should be a priority for Police Scotland. We are disappointed by the lack of progress since this survey was produced in May."
Only one-quarter of superintendents and chief superintendents, according to the survey, took their full annual leave, while only 21 per cent have taken all their rest days.
ASPS members, however, did say that their superiors, such as the chief officers, worked even harder. Some 97 per cent of those surveyed said they believed their managers worked long hours, and 61 per cent said their line manager tried to stop pressure being passed down to their teams.
However, 57 per cent - more than half - said senior management's approach to managing performance was "harsh and unhelpful".
Mr Rennie said: "Some of my colleagues are carrying a heavy burden.
"They are responding to dynamic and very traumatic events and these people are carrying a huge burden from an emotional point of view.
"It is not just the long hours of work that affect them."
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "All Police Scotland officers and staff do a demanding and challenging job.
"We will carefully consider the results of this survey and respond to them appropriately. We are happy to meet with ASPS to discuss the issues raised."
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