Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

GenderEquality, diversity and inclusionLatest NewsEqual pay

BBC issues more than £3m in payouts to avoid further claims, reports say

by Jo Faragher 13 Jan 2020
by Jo Faragher 13 Jan 2020 Comparator Jeremy Vine was paid six times the rate per episode as Samira Ahmed, the tribunal heard
Finbarr Webster/Shutterstock
Comparator Jeremy Vine was paid six times the rate per episode as Samira Ahmed, the tribunal heard
Finbarr Webster/Shutterstock

The BBC has paid out more than £3m to a number of employees in a move it hopes will avoid further equal pay tribunals, the Sunday Times reported this weekend.

Last week it lost an equal pay claim lodged by journalist Samira Ahmed, whose work was found to be equal to that of colleague Jeremy Vine. Her legal team claimed that Vine had been paid £3,000 per episode of Points of View between 2008 and 2018, while she had received just £440 per episode of Newswatch, which had a similar format.

Equal pay

BBC equal pay: Can employers consider experience when setting salary? 

Podcast: Equal pay 

Vine’s pay was reduced to £1,300 per episode in January 2018, and Ahmed is claiming £693,000 in back pay for the historical difference in pay. The tribunal judge rejected the BBC’s arguments that Vine had “glint in his eye” and was able to be “cheeky” and was therefore worth the higher fee.

According to this weekend’s reports, the BBC has now settled with a number of broadcasters and other employees for fear that – if it does not – it will still be fighting similar tribunal claims for years to come. A source told the newspaper that some individuals had received settlements in six figures, although some were more modest.

Ahmed’s agent, Sue Ayton, told the Sunday Times: “For many years senior BBC management decided that some were worth megabucks and others were not. They threw money at their favourites but it was nothing to do with analysis, facts and figures.”

The National Union of Journalists, which supported Ahmed in her claim, said there are around 20 equal pay claims against the BBC waiting to go to tribunal. When Ahmed’s tribunal began, around 70 cases were awaiting resolution internally, which may have since been settled.

Compensation and benefits opportunities on Personnel Today

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Browse more compensation and benefits jobs

 

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
Settlement agreements: Paying employees’ legal bills
next post
Men continue to take top jobs in public life

You may also like

Performance management is broken: how can we rebuild?

11 Jul 2025

Gregg Wallace case: don’t be too hasty to...

11 Jul 2025

‘Replace sick notes with gym’, Streeting tells GPs

11 Jul 2025

Workers with second jobs at an all-time high

11 Jul 2025

How using data can transform return-to-office mandates

11 Jul 2025

Ministers loosen fire and rehire proposals in Employment...

10 Jul 2025

£188k tribunal award for director sacked after cardiac...

10 Jul 2025

It’s no secret – parity in the workplace...

10 Jul 2025

Firms’ salary secrecy means ‘they lose out on...

10 Jul 2025

Court of Appeal rules that Ryanair agency pilot...

9 Jul 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+