The Cost: SCC & Non Disclosure Agreements

[Baron99 794]

So while the council tax goes up year on year & we are continually being bombarded by moans of cuts to council services due to austerity, SCC has been using millions of pounds of our council tax for non disclosure agreements. 

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/council/sheffield-council-spends-millions-on-hush-money-with-staff-1-9731828

 

As someone who spent time in the Civil Service & was (& probably still is), bound by the Official Secrets Act, I fail to see why you have to pay staff off to keep quiet about information they have seen during their employment with SCC? 

 

It should be the case that; "We're sorry to see you go but here's a card & chocs.... oh & by the way.  If you disclose any info relating to SCC, we'll see you in court!"

Edited April 25, 2019 by Baron99
Spelling

[Top Cats Hat 10]

EVERYBODY is bound by the Official Secrets Act whether they have signed it or not, in the same way that all drivers on public roads are bound by the Road Traffic Act whether they have signed it or not.

 

Non disclosure agreements are not designed to protect official secrets or confidential data but all other information which may embarass an employer or make it difficult to carry out its duties.

[Baron99 794]

1 hour ago, Top Cats Hat said:

EVERYBODY is bound by the Official Secrets Act whether they have signed it or not, in the same way that all drivers on public roads are bound by the Road Traffic Act whether they have signed it or not.

 

Non disclosure agreements are not designed to protect official secrets or confidential data but all other information which may embarass an employer or make it difficult to carry out its duties.

Hmmm! The operations surrounding the 'pruning' of trees spring to mind? 

[lil-minx92 10]

 

"Coun Olivia Blake, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said such agreements were often used to speed up an employee’s departure from their job.

A settlement agreement, including a standard NDA clause, will often be used to expedite an agreed departure from an organisation where dismissal is likely, such as sickness, disciplinary or redundancy,” ..

“They allow the employee and organisation to move on quicker than would be the case if a person was required to work notice etc. "

 

It would be interesting to know whether the payments made generally equate to the wages an outgoing staff member would have received had they stayed and worked their notice period. 

[Mr Bloke 1,445]

39 minutes ago, lil-minx92 said:

 

"Coun Olivia Blake, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said such agreements were often used to speed up an employee’s departure from their job.

A settlement agreement, including a standard NDA clause, will often be used to expedite an agreed departure from an organisation where dismissal is likely, such as sickness, disciplinary or redundancy,” ..

“They allow the employee and organisation to move on quicker than would be the case if a person was required to work notice etc. "

 

It would be interesting to know whether the payments made generally equate to the wages an outgoing staff member would have received had they stayed and worked their notice period. 

Hmmm...

... well from the link

 

Quote

A total of £2,518,340 has been spent on non-disclosure agreements, known as NDAs, over the past five years. There’s been a total of 187 since 2014.

By my reckoning that's an average of nearly £13,500 per NDA.

 

So I would think it's very unlikely that the payments only cover what an outgoing member of staff would have received had they worked their notice period...

 

... unless of course they are on maybe 6 months notice or more.

[Pettytom 1]

Wouldn’t the cost of the NDA also include staff costs to negotiate it and legal costs?  It is also possible that it includes some employer pension contributions.

 

Not all partings of the way are the same either, so whilst some might be “go on, get lost” type of payments, others might involve a compensation payment.

 

Average figures often hide quite a large variation of actual payments