BBC reins in staff expenses with wine, taxi and lunch ban
The BBC executives are to attempt to derail the broadcaster’s notorious gravy train with an edict for all staff to abstain from hailing a cab within Central London, ordering bottles of wine and booking first class train tickets.
Proving that there really is no such thing as a free lunch staff are also being told to stump up for their own, under the newly frugal regime when on location and employees won’t even be able to drown their sorrows as ‘subsistence alcohol’ can no longer be claimed for.
Staff will also have to familiarise themselves with public transport as journeys of 25 miles and more will no longer be permitted under the new expenses landscape.
Hardest hit will be high flying executives who’ve racked up eye-watering expenses bills in recent years, notably creative director Alan Yentob who claimed £3,381 for a business class flight to New York in 2010 and £1,600 for an ‘executive Christmas dinner’.
In fact between April 2009 and 2014 The Times calculated that Yentob had racked up of expenses of £84,930.39.
A BBC spokesperson said: “With the financial challenges the BBC is facing, it’s more important than ever to get maximum value from every penny of the licence fee,” a BBC spokesman said. “These proposals will help create a simpler, more efficient, BBC while ensuring staff are not out of pocket for the essential costs incurred in doing their jobs.”
By trimming the organisations expenses bill the organisation is hoping to find £50m down the back of the couch to help offset an expected £150m shortfall in its budget by the end of 2016 as its license fee income continues to decline.