Pay for BBC on-air staff lacks rigour and consistency

A review of broadcasters’ pay at the BBC finds that pay arrangements for this group ‘lack a consistent evaluation and governance framework’ which means the employer’s approach to pay for on-air staff ‘has historically lacked rigour’, resulting in anomalies for both men and women. The review, conducted by PwC, urges the BBC to act quickly, which is likely to mean reducing the pay of some and increasing the pay of others.

The review concludes that the lack of pay ranges for broadcasters has led to an absence of clarity and openness about the basis for making pay decisions, creating a sense of unfairness because individuals are not aware of where they are paid in the range.

Pay progression for all staff has been slow since 2008, with the result that staff joining since this date have missed out on the historic higher increases received by longer serving broadcasters. More men than women are in the upper half of the broadcasters’ pay distribution and there is inconsistency around employment contract types, the review concludes.

‘On-air Review’, PwC for BBC, January 2018 [PDF] http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/reports/pdf/on_air_talent_review.pdf