Bauer settles sexual discrimination claim

Women's magazine publisher Bauer Media has reached a confidential settlement with a sacked editor who sued the company for sexual discrimination after being fired last year.

Former Take 5 editor Belinda Wallis took the publishing house to court after she was unexpectedly terminated last July.

Wallis, who was on a salary of more than $160,000, claimed the company breached the Fair Work Act by offering her male counterparts more generous redundancy packages.

Wallis claimed she was not paid her full entitlements as set out per her company's enterprise agreement.

Bauer however claimed the enterprise agreement did not apply to Wallis.

In her original application, Wallis was pushing for Bauer to pay her $3705.38 per week since the date of her termination until a legal agreement was reached.

She was also asking for 28 weeks' redundancy pay, which added up to $90,811.54 plus interest.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Wallis was offered a redundancy package of 43 weeks on the condition she sign a deed of release, however she rejected the offer.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Author: Natasha Lee, Approving editor: Matthew Henry