Deal or no deal

The BBC has paid out an average of £17,000 to 49 people who brought unfair dismissal cases since 2005, avoiding tribunal hearings in nearly 55% of cases brought.

From a response to an FoI inquiry, the BBC reveals that

• 90 employment tribunal or industrial tribunal claims have been brought against the BBC since 1 April 2005
• 14 of the 90 claims were withdrawn
• 25 of these claims proceeded to tribunal of which 24 were dismissed (i.e. won by the BBC) or struck out and one was upheld. Two claims are still ongoing.
• the BBC settled 49 unfair dismissal claims without admission of liability and before a tribunal judgement and that the total figure paid to claimants in such cases over the ten year period of your request was £840,341
• the BBC is not charged for the time that is spent on each case by the BBC’s Employment Law Department