WMT is shutting down here’s what you need to do
HMPPS has confirmed that the Workload Measurement Tool (WMT) will shut down at 4pm on Friday 25 September. Napo strongly opposes this decision. We believe the WMT should have been improved and expanded – not removed – while excessive workloads remain a major problem across Probation. You can find more about this here
What we need members to do before the shut down
If you currently have access to WMT, please save your final data before 4pm on Friday 25 September.
This is important evidence of your workload and may be useful in the weeks and months ahead as we continue our campaign for action on excessive workloads.
Please only do this using an MoJ/HMPPS-owned device. Do not use your personal phone or any other personal device.
For individual members
Before 4pm Friday:
- Open the Workload Measurement Tool.
- Find your name through National > Region > PDU > Team.
- On the Overview tab, save a screenshot/photo showing only:
- Grade
- Team
- Capacity
- Cases
- Contracted hours
- Reduction
- Go to the Capacity tab and save the 12-month capacity/reduction graph.
You can take a screenshot on your work laptop or a photo using your work phone.
For Branches
Branches should follow the same process to capture the Overview and Capacity information for the Region and each PDU they represent.
Do not capture individual members’ data for Branch records.
Keep your evidence
Please keep your screenshots/photos somewhere safe so you can refer back to them if needed. Do not send them to Napo unless we specifically ask you to.
The WMT is being removed, but the workload problem has not gone away. Napo will continue pressing HMPPS on workloads alongside our campaign and forthcoming industrial action ballot.
Excessive workloads need to be measured, managed and reduced not hidden.
Don’t let the employer’s decision to switch off the WMT mean that evidence of your workload disappears too. Capture it before 4pm Friday.
3 responses
I have come up with my own WMT tool. If you would like a copy. Please send me an email – amy.mcallen@justice.gov.uk
It’s not 100% be it’s a good guide, the WMT was never 100% either…..
Nationally we are allocated 8 training days a year on the WMT, yet we have 6 PDD days and 6 mandatory team briefing/training days a year. Leaving a deficit of 4 unmeasured training days before adding the raft of additional mandatory training we have to complete. Yet when Region are challenged about this, they blame National! Even though it has been within their power to correct this.
This is creating a huge and increasing health and safety risk to staff, many of whom are already struggling with work related stress.
It is extremely disappointing that the WMT is constantly described as not fit for purpose and yet the very guardians of the tool, who have overall responsibility for our welfare, appear to have deliberately ensured it has been under reporting workloads, deliberately manufacturing or at least contributing to the demise of the tool.
Even now they will not correct the current workloads, which would at least show practitioners just how bad the situation really is. Rather than having some practitioners questioning their own ability and why they are struggling when workloads falsely appear lower.
It is a complete and utter disgrace, putting practitioners welfare at risk and hardly upholding the principles of honesty, transparency, openness and integrity.
Checked WMT today and we are unable to request any capacity data before August 2026. This is frustrating as there is no evidence of extremely high workloads from before this time.