The BBC is facing a fresh gender pay row, with its plans to allow managers to sign off discretionary salary increases for staff.
The Times reports that the Corporation is facing challenges over these plans from both unions and its well-established BBC Women employee network – amid concern that female employees could significantly lose out.
Previous gaps in pay between male and female staff were highlighted when a number of female presenters went public with salary disputes. Newswatch presenter Samira Ahmed won her case at a 2020 employment tribunal, which ruled her work was equal to that of a more highly-paid male presenter. Former China editor Carrie Gracie also won a settlement for underpaid work.
It is feared that managerial discretion, if re-introduced after salaries were standardised back in 2015, could undo all the work by these groups to make the pay system fairer across the Corporation.
The Times confirms that no plans have been finalised.
The Times reports that the Corporation is facing challenges over these plans from both unions and its well-established BBC Women employee network – amid concern that female employees could significantly lose out.
Previous gaps in pay between male and female staff were highlighted when a number of female presenters went public with salary disputes. Newswatch presenter Samira Ahmed won her case at a 2020 employment tribunal, which ruled her work was equal to that of a more highly-paid male presenter. Former China editor Carrie Gracie also won a settlement for underpaid work.
It is feared that managerial discretion, if re-introduced after salaries were standardised back in 2015, could undo all the work by these groups to make the pay system fairer across the Corporation.
The Times confirms that no plans have been finalised.
- 4/23/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC has been cleared of pay discrimination against its female employees following complaints made by several presenters.
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission, set up in March 2019, found no unlawful acts of pay discrimination against women. It did however recommend “improvements to increase transparency and rebuild trust with women at the organisation”
Responding to the news, BBC director general Tim Davie said the org has “to work even harder” to implement those recommendations.
The verdict does not absolve the BBC of guilt, however, as the committee also accepted that the BBC’s “historical practices were not fit for purpose” but claimed the org had “made significant changes since 2015”.
The BBC has been forced to address multiple high profile instances of pay discrepancy in the recent past. Points Of View presenter Samira Ahmed successfully took the BBC to an employee tribunal over being paid six times less than Jeremy Vine for similar work.
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission, set up in March 2019, found no unlawful acts of pay discrimination against women. It did however recommend “improvements to increase transparency and rebuild trust with women at the organisation”
Responding to the news, BBC director general Tim Davie said the org has “to work even harder” to implement those recommendations.
The verdict does not absolve the BBC of guilt, however, as the committee also accepted that the BBC’s “historical practices were not fit for purpose” but claimed the org had “made significant changes since 2015”.
The BBC has been forced to address multiple high profile instances of pay discrepancy in the recent past. Points Of View presenter Samira Ahmed successfully took the BBC to an employee tribunal over being paid six times less than Jeremy Vine for similar work.
- 11/12/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
British presenter and journalist Samira Ahmed has won a high-profile equal pay case against the BBC.
Ahmed took the pubcaster to an employment tribunal claiming she was underpaid compared to a male colleague, Jeremy Vine, for presenting a similar program. Both presenters fronted viewer feedback shows. The BBC unsuccessfully argued Ahmed was not making a like-for-like comparison.
Ahmed was paid less than £500 ($653) per episode for her work on “Newswatch” while Vine received about £3,000 an episode for fronting “Points of View.”
“Samira Ahmed is an excellent journalist and presenter and we regret that this case ever had to go to Tribunal,” a BBC spokesman said. “We have always believed that the pay of Samira and Jeremy Vine was not determined by their gender. Presenters – female as well as male – had always been paid more on ‘Points Of View’ than ‘Newswatch.’”
The broadcaster added it will now consider the tribunal judgement and...
Ahmed took the pubcaster to an employment tribunal claiming she was underpaid compared to a male colleague, Jeremy Vine, for presenting a similar program. Both presenters fronted viewer feedback shows. The BBC unsuccessfully argued Ahmed was not making a like-for-like comparison.
Ahmed was paid less than £500 ($653) per episode for her work on “Newswatch” while Vine received about £3,000 an episode for fronting “Points of View.”
“Samira Ahmed is an excellent journalist and presenter and we regret that this case ever had to go to Tribunal,” a BBC spokesman said. “We have always believed that the pay of Samira and Jeremy Vine was not determined by their gender. Presenters – female as well as male – had always been paid more on ‘Points Of View’ than ‘Newswatch.’”
The broadcaster added it will now consider the tribunal judgement and...
- 1/10/2020
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Presenter Samira Ahmed Accuses BBC Of Gender Discrimination In Explosive Legal Battle Over Equal Pay
Presenter Samira Ahmed has accused the BBC of gender discrimination in evidence during an explosive legal battle, in which she is claiming she was paid significantly less than male counterpart Jeremy Vine for hosting a similar show.
Ahmed is seeking £693,245 in lost earnings at an employment tribunal in London, the first case of its kind since the BBC was caught up in a gender pay scandal after China editor Carrie Gracie resigned last year in protest over her salary.
In a witness statement, Ahmed said “it just not seem fair” that she was paid £440 for hosting an episode Newswatch, while at the same time, Vine took home £3,000 for recording an episode of Points of View. Both formats invite viewers to offer feedback on BBC output.
Ahmed set out in the 53-page statement why the shows involve similar work and provide audiences with a similar service, arguing that it was not...
Ahmed is seeking £693,245 in lost earnings at an employment tribunal in London, the first case of its kind since the BBC was caught up in a gender pay scandal after China editor Carrie Gracie resigned last year in protest over her salary.
In a witness statement, Ahmed said “it just not seem fair” that she was paid £440 for hosting an episode Newswatch, while at the same time, Vine took home £3,000 for recording an episode of Points of View. Both formats invite viewers to offer feedback on BBC output.
Ahmed set out in the 53-page statement why the shows involve similar work and provide audiences with a similar service, arguing that it was not...
- 10/30/2019
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
BBC presenter Samira Ahmed is preparing to give evidence on Wednesday in a dramatic legal battle in which she is demanding that her salary mirrors that of a male colleague.
In the first employment tribunal of its kind since the BBC was embroiled in a gender pay scandal last year when China editor Carrie Gracie resigned in protest over her salary, Ahmed is arguing she should be paid the same as Jeremy Vine, a prominent male presenter.
Ahmed presents Newswatch, a BBC News channel show in which viewer feedback on the BBC’s news coverage is discussed. Since presenting the show in 2012, she was paid £440 ($564) an episode for three years before her salary was raised to £465 in 2015. Her pay was later cut again, however, when freelance presenters became BBC employees.
In contrast, Vine was paid £3,000 an episode to host BBC One’s Points of View, which is similar in format...
In the first employment tribunal of its kind since the BBC was embroiled in a gender pay scandal last year when China editor Carrie Gracie resigned in protest over her salary, Ahmed is arguing she should be paid the same as Jeremy Vine, a prominent male presenter.
Ahmed presents Newswatch, a BBC News channel show in which viewer feedback on the BBC’s news coverage is discussed. Since presenting the show in 2012, she was paid £440 ($564) an episode for three years before her salary was raised to £465 in 2015. Her pay was later cut again, however, when freelance presenters became BBC employees.
In contrast, Vine was paid £3,000 an episode to host BBC One’s Points of View, which is similar in format...
- 10/29/2019
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
In the weeks leading up to the war in Iraq, Katharine Gun exposed a Us plot to spy on the Un in leaks published in the Observer. She joins former Observer journalist Martin Bright to tell their story ahead of a forthcoming Hollywood adaptation. Plus the BBC’s Carrie Gracie on how she fought for equal pay
In the weeks before the invasion, Tony Blair and George W Bush continued to make the case for war in Iraq despite the lack of evidence that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. In Cheltenham, a young Mandarin-language specialist at the UK spy agency Gchq, Katharine Gun, was at her desk when she received an email detailing a secret plan by the Us government to spy on the United Nations to try to secure a resolution from the security council to authorise an attack.
In an attempt to prevent a...
In the weeks before the invasion, Tony Blair and George W Bush continued to make the case for war in Iraq despite the lack of evidence that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. In Cheltenham, a young Mandarin-language specialist at the UK spy agency Gchq, Katharine Gun, was at her desk when she received an email detailing a secret plan by the Us government to spy on the United Nations to try to secure a resolution from the security council to authorise an attack.
In an attempt to prevent a...
- 9/23/2019
- by Presented by Anushka Asthana with Martin Bright, Katharine Gun and Carrie Gracie; produced by Elizabeth Cassin, Gary Marshall and Axel Kacoutié; executive producers Nicole Jackson and Phil Maynard
- The Guardian - Film News
British politicians have warned the BBC to improve its equal pay structure as well as its digital service iPlayer in a damning report about the British public broadcaster.
Meanwhile, a separate report from regulator Ofcom warned that the BBC must not to be too reliant on international co-productions such as Carey Mulligan-fronted Collateral, as its ability to rely on such deals with the likes of Netflix and Amazon is “uncertain”.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) Committee, which is lead by Conservative politician Damian Collins, has laid out its thoughts on the BBC in its review of the corporation’s Annual Report.
It said that the BBC, as a public sector employer, has a higher level of duty to advance equality of opportunity than commercial organizations. “The BBC has failed to live up to this duty. Our evidence suggests women within the BBC are working in comparable jobs...
Meanwhile, a separate report from regulator Ofcom warned that the BBC must not to be too reliant on international co-productions such as Carey Mulligan-fronted Collateral, as its ability to rely on such deals with the likes of Netflix and Amazon is “uncertain”.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) Committee, which is lead by Conservative politician Damian Collins, has laid out its thoughts on the BBC in its review of the corporation’s Annual Report.
It said that the BBC, as a public sector employer, has a higher level of duty to advance equality of opportunity than commercial organizations. “The BBC has failed to live up to this duty. Our evidence suggests women within the BBC are working in comparable jobs...
- 10/25/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC pays its female employees “far less” than their male counterparts and is failing to advance equal opportunities for women, according to a new report by a British government committee that scrutinized the pubcaster’s accounts and equal pay efforts.
The BBC has been criticized for its gender pay gap, with salary figures for its top on-air talent revealing glaring disparities between the sexes. A high-profile dispute with one of its top journalists, Carrie Gracie, who was paid less than a male colleague in a similar role, also led to a storm of criticism of the broadcaster.
A PwC study commissioned by the BBC and greeted with skepticism by many found “no evidence of gender bias” when it came to pay decisions. But the Beeb did propose new measures for determining salary levels and settled with Gracie. It also commissioned a report into how it could “sweep away any barriers to women progressing.
The BBC has been criticized for its gender pay gap, with salary figures for its top on-air talent revealing glaring disparities between the sexes. A high-profile dispute with one of its top journalists, Carrie Gracie, who was paid less than a male colleague in a similar role, also led to a storm of criticism of the broadcaster.
A PwC study commissioned by the BBC and greeted with skepticism by many found “no evidence of gender bias” when it came to pay decisions. But the Beeb did propose new measures for determining salary levels and settled with Gracie. It also commissioned a report into how it could “sweep away any barriers to women progressing.
- 10/24/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
U.K. pubcasters are making progress on closing the gender pay gap. The BBC said Wednesday it had reduced pay disparity between the sexes, and fellow U.K. pubcaster Channel 4 has already put out new figures showing its gender pay gap has fallen.
The BBC’s 2018 gender pay gap is 8.4%, down from 10.7% in 2017. Channel 4’s 2018 gender pay gap remains much wider at 22.7%, but that is a reduction on the 28.6% recorded in 2017. The BBC bonus gap, which does not include bonuses paid to staff at its production and distribution arm BBC Studios, was 2.5%. At Channel 4 it was 39.4%, down from 47.6% in 2017.
Women now comprise 43.3% of senior management positions at the BBC, which has committed to an even gender split in its leadership teams by 2020. It has already implemented a new system for paying correspondents and presenters after a widely publicized pay dispute with former China editor Carrie Gracie.
The BBC also published its review,...
The BBC’s 2018 gender pay gap is 8.4%, down from 10.7% in 2017. Channel 4’s 2018 gender pay gap remains much wider at 22.7%, but that is a reduction on the 28.6% recorded in 2017. The BBC bonus gap, which does not include bonuses paid to staff at its production and distribution arm BBC Studios, was 2.5%. At Channel 4 it was 39.4%, down from 47.6% in 2017.
Women now comprise 43.3% of senior management positions at the BBC, which has committed to an even gender split in its leadership teams by 2020. It has already implemented a new system for paying correspondents and presenters after a widely publicized pay dispute with former China editor Carrie Gracie.
The BBC also published its review,...
- 7/4/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
The BBC has said sorry for underpaying one of its top news correspondents, Carrie Gracie, and settled a dispute that shone a light on gender inequality at the British pubcaster.
Gracie was China editor for the BBC’s news division, a job she took on the assurance from the BBC that she would be paid the same salary as the North America editor, Jon Sopel. However, it emerged later that Gracie was not being paid an equal amount.
“The BBC acknowledges the specific circumstances relating to Carrie’s appointment, apologizes for underpaying Carrie, and has now put this right,” the BBC said in a statement Friday. “Carrie is donating the full amount received to a charity of her choice.”
Gracie had refused a £45,000 raise when the salary disparity with her male colleague came to light, saying what she wanted was equality, not simply more money. She said: “For me, this...
Gracie was China editor for the BBC’s news division, a job she took on the assurance from the BBC that she would be paid the same salary as the North America editor, Jon Sopel. However, it emerged later that Gracie was not being paid an equal amount.
“The BBC acknowledges the specific circumstances relating to Carrie’s appointment, apologizes for underpaying Carrie, and has now put this right,” the BBC said in a statement Friday. “Carrie is donating the full amount received to a charity of her choice.”
Gracie had refused a £45,000 raise when the salary disparity with her male colleague came to light, saying what she wanted was equality, not simply more money. She said: “For me, this...
- 6/29/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
The BBC’s former China editor Carrie Gracie – who lifted the lid on the gender pay problems at the British public broadcaster – has finally reached an agreement with the corporation.
The BBC acknowledged that it underpaid Gracie, who had initially been told that she would be paid in line with the North America editor, and has reached a financial settlement, which she is donating to a charity of her choice.
It apologised for the debacle and noted that during her time in China, she delivered reports, analysis and work, that were as valuable as those of the other International Editors in the same period. The BBC added that it was “committed to the principle of equal pay and acting in accordance with our values”.
In January, Gracie accused the BBC of having a “secretive and illegal pay culture” and that it was “not living up to its stated values of trust,...
The BBC acknowledged that it underpaid Gracie, who had initially been told that she would be paid in line with the North America editor, and has reached a financial settlement, which she is donating to a charity of her choice.
It apologised for the debacle and noted that during her time in China, she delivered reports, analysis and work, that were as valuable as those of the other International Editors in the same period. The BBC added that it was “committed to the principle of equal pay and acting in accordance with our values”.
In January, Gracie accused the BBC of having a “secretive and illegal pay culture” and that it was “not living up to its stated values of trust,...
- 6/29/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC is to launch a review designed to “sweep away” any barriers to women progressing at the corporation. This comes after the British public broadcaster was dragged into a gender pay row following the resignation of China editor Carrie Gracie. BBC Director General Tony Hall has appointed Donalda MacKinnon, who is the boss of BBC Scotland, to lead the work, which will consider working practices, policies and procedures, practical support, recruitment and professional…...
- 2/23/2018
- Deadline TV
The gender pay row at the BBC continues to rumble on after former China editor Carrie Gracie slammed the corporation for an "insulting" pay rise offer after she raised the issue. Gracie, the BBC's top journalist in China, left her position in January, accusing the BBC of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture". Today, she said that the broadcaster offered to pay her around £100,000 ($141,000) in back pay after she made her claim public. Speaking to British…...
- 1/31/2018
- Deadline TV
The issues associated with gender bias in the workplace have been emphasized and highlighted in great detail over the last two decades. There has been no shortage of celebrities and entertainers who have used their platforms to give a voice to the issues; however, there is a huge difference between using your voice and platform to address a social issue and possibly sacrificing your career. That is what BBC China editor, Carrie Gracie, just did. According to sources closest to the story, Grace resigned her position as the editor of BBC’s China in protest of the gender pay gap. While
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Carrie Gracie...
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Carrie Gracie...
- 1/10/2018
- by Rick Wallace
- TVovermind.com
The UK government has waded into the BBC gender pay row with new Culture Secretary Matt Hancock calling for the British pubcaster to act on the issue. This comes after the broadcaster was accused of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture" by Carrie Gracie, the BBC's former China Editor, who resigned her position over pay practices. Hancock, on his first day in the job following Karen Bradley's promotion to Northern Ireland Secretary, called for a "root and branch…...
- 1/9/2018
- Deadline TV
Carrie Gracie, the China editor for Britain’s public broadcaster the BBC, has resigned from her post in Beijing due to pay disparities with her male colleagues, according to an open letter she wrote. The BBC has come under fire recently for paying male employees more and has pledged to close the gender gap by 2020. […]...
- 1/8/2018
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
The BBC's top journalist in China, Carrie Gracie, has left her position following a gender pay row and accused the corporation of having a “secretive and illegal pay culture”. Gracie, who was the British public broadcaster's China editor, slammed the BBC over its pay practices in a 1,400-word letter on her personal website. She said that the BBC was "not living up to its stated values of trust, honesty and accountability". Gracie said that the dispute has been raging…...
- 1/8/2018
- Deadline TV
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