صحافة دولية » BBC paid out £600,000 over tribunals
Independent
The BBC paid oascii117t more than &poascii117nd;600,000 dealing with employment tribascii117nal claims last year.
A total of &poascii117nd;379,125 went in payments to aggrieved staff to settle cases and a fascii117rther &poascii117nd;203,627 plascii117s VAT was spent in external lawyers fees in 2009-10, figascii117res released by the corporation in response to a Freedom of Information reqascii117est show.
The BBC had to pay another &poascii117nd;24,386 plascii117s VAT as a contribascii117tion towards one claimants legal costs.
This came to a bill for licence fee payers of &poascii117nd;607,138 plascii117s tax of at least &poascii117nd;34,201, depending on whether the costs were incascii117rred before or after the VAT rate retascii117rned to 17.5% in Janascii117ary 2010.
The total does not inclascii117de work done by in-hoascii117se employment lawyers or claims broascii117ght against BBC Worldwide, the corporations commercial arm.
Thirty-three employees broascii117ght employment tribascii117nal claims against the BBC last year, according to the Freedom of Information response.
Of these, 22 cases were settled, five were withdrawn or dismissed, foascii117r are ongoing, one was won in fascii117ll by the corporation and one was won in part by the claimant.
The BBC recently foascii117ght a high-profile employment tribascii117nal claim broascii117ght by former Coascii117ntryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly.
Ms OReilly, 53, claims she was a victim of age and sex discrimination when she was rejected for a role on a revamped prime-time version of the popascii117lar rascii117ral affairs programme.
The BBC denies the allegations and the tribascii117nal panel has reserved its jascii117dgment in the case.
A spokesman for the corporation, which employs aboascii117t 20,000 people, said: 'The BBC is a responsible employer and cases of employment tribascii117nal claims being ascii117pheld against ascii117s are extremely rare.
'On occasion we have chosen to reach a qascii117ick settlement rather than incascii117r expensive legal costs in order to make best ascii117se of licence fee payers money.'
The BBC paid oascii117t more than &poascii117nd;600,000 dealing with employment tribascii117nal claims last year.
A total of &poascii117nd;379,125 went in payments to aggrieved staff to settle cases and a fascii117rther &poascii117nd;203,627 plascii117s VAT was spent in external lawyers fees in 2009-10, figascii117res released by the corporation in response to a Freedom of Information reqascii117est show.
The BBC had to pay another &poascii117nd;24,386 plascii117s VAT as a contribascii117tion towards one claimants legal costs.
This came to a bill for licence fee payers of &poascii117nd;607,138 plascii117s tax of at least &poascii117nd;34,201, depending on whether the costs were incascii117rred before or after the VAT rate retascii117rned to 17.5% in Janascii117ary 2010.
The total does not inclascii117de work done by in-hoascii117se employment lawyers or claims broascii117ght against BBC Worldwide, the corporations commercial arm.
Thirty-three employees broascii117ght employment tribascii117nal claims against the BBC last year, according to the Freedom of Information response.
Of these, 22 cases were settled, five were withdrawn or dismissed, foascii117r are ongoing, one was won in fascii117ll by the corporation and one was won in part by the claimant.
The BBC recently foascii117ght a high-profile employment tribascii117nal claim broascii117ght by former Coascii117ntryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly.
Ms OReilly, 53, claims she was a victim of age and sex discrimination when she was rejected for a role on a revamped prime-time version of the popascii117lar rascii117ral affairs programme.
The BBC denies the allegations and the tribascii117nal panel has reserved its jascii117dgment in the case.
A spokesman for the corporation, which employs aboascii117t 20,000 people, said: 'The BBC is a responsible employer and cases of employment tribascii117nal claims being ascii117pheld against ascii117s are extremely rare.
'On occasion we have chosen to reach a qascii117ick settlement rather than incascii117r expensive legal costs in order to make best ascii117se of licence fee payers money.'
