Ofcom freezes pay to save £1 million
No raises for staff or bonuses for executives at communications watchdog Ofcom this year.


Ofcom has frozen pay for all its employees, as the economy takes its toll on the communications watchdog.
Ofcom said there will be no pay raises for staff this financial year until March 2010, which a spokesperson told IT PRO should save about 900,000.
The five-member executive committee has also agreed to not take bonuses this year. The spokesperson said it's difficult to say how much that will save, as the bonuses are based on performance, but he added that chief executive Ed Richards was awarded 56,400 last year.
Fellow committee member Peter Phillips was given an extra 36,100, while chief operating officer Jill Ainscough got 22,137. The other two members of the board were not around long enough to win bonuses last year.
Ofcom added that any savings will be "returned to the taxpayer" or its stakeholder companies.
"Ofcom's Remuneration Committee took into account the negative rate of inflation, the pressure on public finances and the economic circumstances of the many companies within the communications sector where similar action on pay has been taken," the watchdog said in a statement.
"The committee wanted to ensure that Ofcom reflected the circumstances of the companies and taxpayers who pay for the organisation and took full account of the widespread financial pressures they face," it added.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Click here to read about IT job cuts across the IT sector.
Freelance journalist Nicole Kobie first started writing for ITPro in 2007, with bylines in New Scientist, Wired, PC Pro and many more.
Nicole the author of a book about the history of technology, The Long History of the Future.
-
Why keeping track of AI assistants can be a tricky business
Column Making the most of AI assistants means understanding what they can do – and what the workforce wants from them
By Stephen Pritchard
-
Nvidia braces for a $5.5 billion hit as tariffs reach the semiconductor industry
News The chipmaker says its H20 chips need a special license as its share price plummets
By Bobby Hellard
-
We're addicted to our phones, according to Ofcom
News Although always being connected means flexible working, some think it's having a negative impact on relationships
By Clare Hopping
-
Ofcom reveals automatic compensation for ripped-off broadband customers
News £142 million will be automatically paid out to customers receiving a delayed service
By Clare Hopping
-
Three fined £1.9m for 999 call flaw
News Ofcom investigation reveals emergency calls were routed through a single data centre
By Dale Walker
-
Ofcom fines EE £2.7m for overcharging 40,000 customers
News Customers dialling 150 number abroad were overcharged £245,700
By Joe Curtis
-
BT ordered to spin off Openreach
News Ofcom rules BT has failed to address competition concerns
By Jane McCallion
-
BT/EE banned from bidding for half of frequency at next spectrum auctions
News New Ofcom rules prevent BT from bidding for half of frequencies available at 2017 spectrum auctions
By Ingrid Fadelli
-
Vodafone fined £4.6m for failing to top up pay-as-you-go customers
News Ofcom fines Vodafone for failing to credit PAYG
By Dale Walker
-
Ofcom drafts in public to build mobile coverage maps
News The application will automatically log data from Android devices
By Clare Hopping