Spend on Settlement Agreements

“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.”

We can confirm that Devon County Council (DCC) enters into Settlement Agreements and COT3 Agreements from time to time in order to settle employment disputes with employees of both DCC corporately and maintained schools where DCC is the employer.  None of these Agreements prevent employees from whistleblowing. The numbers of, and spend for, Settlement Agreements and COT3 Agreements for each year between 2016 – 2018 were published in a response to a previous request.  Please note that the figures quoted in this table represent calendar rather than financial years, as this is how the information is held.