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+

Latest NewsDiscriminationEqual payEmployment tribunalsSex discrimination

Samira Ahmed and BBC reach equal-pay settlement

by Ashleigh Webber 24 Feb 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 24 Feb 2020 Samira Ahmed arrives at the Central London Employment Tribunal.
Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images
Samira Ahmed arrives at the Central London Employment Tribunal.
Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images

Journalist Samira Ahmed has reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the BBC after she won an equal pay case against the broadcaster last month.

Ahmed was seeking almost £700,000 in back pay after an employment tribunal ruled the work she had been doing was comparable to that of presenter Jeremy Vine, who was paid thousands more than her.

BBC equal pay claims

BBC loses equal pay case with Samira Ahmed

BBC settles equal pay dispute with Carrie Gracie

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

She claimed that Vine was paid up to £3,000 an episode for Points of View on BBC One, while Ahmed received £440 per episode of Newswatch on BBC News.

In January, the tribunal unanimously concluded that the BBC had failed to provide convincing evidence that the pay difference could be justified and was for reasons other than discrimination.

The BBC has declined to appeal against the ruling and has now reached a settlement with Ahmed.

A statement released by the BBC and the National Union of Journalists, which supported Ahmed with her case, said: “Samira Ahmed and the BBC are pleased to have reached a settlement following the recent tribunal.

“Samira is a highly valued BBC presenter and now these matters have been concluded we all want to focus on the future. We look forward to continuing to work together to make great programmes for audiences. Neither the BBC, Samira or the NUJ will be commenting further on this case.”

Ahmed has not commented on the settlement, but said after last month’s judgment: “No woman wants to have to take action against their own employer. I love working for the BBC. I’m glad it’s been resolved.”

The BBC argued, among other issues, that the difference in pay was justified as Points of View required its presenter to have a “glint in his eye” and to be “cheeky”, but Judge Grewal said her panel had difficulty understanding how that translated into a skill or experience to do a job.

“How does one acquire such a skill or experience? In any event, the light-hearted tone and any cheekiness were achieved primarily by the script being written in a particular style. The attempts at humour came from the script,” Judge Grewal said in her ruling.

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.

Merrill April, an employment solicitor at CM Murray, commented: “It is unsurprising that Samira Ahmed and the BBC have settled their dispute on a confidential basis.

“Having found that she had been discriminated against, whilst still working at the BBC, in circumstances where they both wish to continue working together, a settlement with the consequent benefit of confidentiality and avoiding the further publicity of a remedies hearing in the tribunal, is the natural way forward for the benefit of both parties.”

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Government seeks HR lead for special advisers
next post
Huge public sector redundancy payouts revealed despite ‘ban’

You may also like

Eight new equality laws in the pipeline

10 Apr 2025

Barnet Council to face equal pay claim worth...

26 Mar 2025

Have group litigation claims advanced pay equality?

26 Mar 2025

Equality at work: ‘Men are out of touch’

28 Feb 2025

Asda workers advance to final stage in equal...

3 Feb 2025

Morrisons workers move forward in equal pay claim

17 Jan 2025

Birmingham City Council to settle 6,000 equal pay...

10 Dec 2024

Four BBC presenters launch equal pay appeal

29 Nov 2024

Disney agrees $43.3m gender pay settlement

27 Nov 2024

Employment Rights Bill: government outlines next steps for...

10 Oct 2024

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...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+