Police Scotland pay out £3m to stop staff taking them to employment tribunals
Cash strapped Police Scotland has paid out almost £3million in compensation payments in secret deals to disgruntled staff after being taken to employment tribunals, the Daily Record can reveal.
In each of the 49 cases employees, including police officers and civilian workers, signed gagging orders or non disclosure agreements (NDA's) to settle the cases and receive the compensation.
The shock figures released by Police Scotland under Freedom of Information show an average of £57,200 was paid out per claim between 2020 and 2024.
Details of the eye watering sums prompted a furious reaction yesterday.
Scottish Labour Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said 'Frontline policing is under immense pressure and all money must be spent in the best way possible.
"The SNP must work with Police Scotland to ensure standards are being upheld at all times and address the underlying issues causing these claims, so that more funding can go to the frontline where it is badly needed.'
The employment tribunal settlements released under Freedom of Information (FOI) show that £84,330 was paid out in 2020, £63,801 in 2021, £342,750 in 2022, £2,134.023 in 2023 and £170,000 last year.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, added: "The majority of payments will be to our members.
"The question I would have is what lessons are Police Scotland learning.
"When we go to the force with cases early they don't fix them quick enough. "Which ends up in bigger claims, more payouts and increased costs."
No figures have been made available for individual sums paid to claimants which police say would be a breach of confidence by the force. An NDA means that the person receiving payment is unable to discuss any details of the settlement, complaint, or time with the force.
In the same FOI response Police Scotland said they had paid out compensation in more than 600 cases since 2021 - to both staff and members of the public - in a wide variety of actions raised against the force.
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In June the Daily Record revealed how a male firearms officer is suing Police Scotland for sex discrimination - at an employment tribunal - after he was suspended for taking a photo with influencer Tallia Storm while on duty in Edinburgh last year.
Steve Jones, 35, claims he was unfairly suspended then demoted after a video of him and a colleague with Storm was shared on TikTok.
In May the Daily Record also revealed that more than £18million in compensation was paid by Police Scotland between 2019 and 2024 following claims brought against the force by both staff and members of the public.
The sums include £400,000 paid to two ex-administrators of Rangers FC David Whitehouse and Paul Clark after they were arrested during a failed fraud investigation.
In May 2022, former firearms officer Rhona Malone, 43, was awarded £948,000 in damages by an employment tribunal which found she had been the victim of sexism and discrimination. Police Scotland also had to pay £118,000 towards her legal costs.
More recently Police Scotland are reported to have agreed to pay more than £1million in compensation to members of Sheku Bayoh 's family. Sheku died in a street in Kirkcaldy in 2015 while being detained by police officers.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Compensation payments are dealt with on a case by case basis with a view to securing best value for the public purse."
A Scottish Government spokesperson added: "It is for Police Scotland, with oversight from the Scottish Police Authority, to consider how to resolve employment disputes, including the use of confidentiality agreements. The Scottish Government expects all public bodies to conduct litigation with careful regard to the public purse."
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