KCC man's payoff draws scorn
Comments |
by
political editor Paul Francis
Opposition parties have questioned Kent County Council’s
explanation of why it paid £365,000 to a director who left after a
year in his job.
Liberal Democrats say they are baffled by the county council’s
claim that it was forced by law into paying off its former
environment and highways director Adam Wilkinson the money when he
unexpectedly quit in 2008.
At the time, he said he was doing so for family reasons and was
finding it hard to commute from his Yorkshire home.
Cllr Tim Prater, Lib Dem spokesman on finance, said that he
was unconvinced by the county council’s claim that it was forced by
employment legislation and contractual obligations to offer the
money, which he said was "off the scale."
"I find it absolutely extraordinary that if he [Adam Wilkinson]
chose to go voluntarily, as it appeared he did, why was there any
payment whatsoever? The size of it beggars belief and is an
outrageous use of public money," added Cllr Prater.
"Clearly, there is something missing from the story here. You
show me the employment legislation that says you have to give
someone a payout on this scale."
The only circumstances in which someone who left his job
voluntarily was entitled to additional money would be if they left
their job and did not work out their notice, he added.
In a statement responsing to the disclosures, Cllr Roger Gough,
KCC cabinet member for corporate services said: "Mr Wilkinson’s
time at KCC did not work out so it was mutually agreed that he
should move on. At a personal level it was also the right thing for
Mr Wilkinson."
He added: "The problem we face is that employment laws are
onerous and need to be reformed. We will lobby the Government for a
change of the law."
Mr Wilkinson said: "Contractually, Kent had a responsibility to
make me a payment. What I was entitled to on departure was a
proportion of my salary and bonus and that’s what I was paid."
He quit in 2008 after just over a year at the authority because
he was returning to West Yorkshire each weekend, where his wife and
four daughters lived.
Monday, June 21 2010
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