FOI request (FOIR-126776737)

I am writing to obtain information about your organisation’s spending on settlement agreements in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Please note, if your organisation has taken part in a merger with any other local authority since the relevant timeframe, please include the relevant data for that ‘legacy council’.

Please include the following information:

·         The total number of settlement agreements for each financial year.

·         The total costs associated for each settlement agreement in each financial year. This includes, but is not limited to, a payment of salary, payment in lieu of a notice period and payment of compensation for loss of office.

A settlement agreement is a legally binding agreement between an employer and employee used to set out terms and conditions under which a contract of employment is to be terminated. The purpose is for an employee to be given a compensation package, in exchange for giving up a statutory right to make a claim at an employment tribunal.

A settlement agreement is not any exit payment which includes a statutory right to make a claim at an employment tribunal.

In addition, please exclude any settlements agreed under a mutually agreed resignation/severance scheme.

If you are unable to answer one of the questions, please continue and answer the subsequent ones. In particular, if 2018-19 data is not yet fully available, please answer to the best of your ability or omit this year from the response.