Wessex Water bosses handed £50,000 in extra pay despite Labour government's bonus ban

Wessex Water Executives Receive £50,000 in Un disclosed Extra Pay Amidst Bonus Ban

Chief executives Ruth Jefferson and Andy Pymer of Wessex Water received an additional £50,000 each from their parent company, YTL group, despite the government's ban on bonuses for bosses at suppliers guilty of pollution. The payments were made through a holding company, Wessex Water Ltd, which is part of the complex corporate structure of YTL.

The news comes as water companies face scrutiny over executive pay following the government's crackdown on bonuses for polluted water suppliers. Last year, six water companies were banned from paying bonuses due to past environmental breaches.

Jefferson and Pymer received £24,000 and £27,000 respectively in the year to June 2025, according to a spokesperson for YTL group. The payments were not disclosed in Wessex Water's accounts, which only reported a total of £440,000 as Ruth Jefferson's pay and £249,000 as Andy Pymer's.

The lack of transparency over executive pay has raised concerns among politicians and regulators. Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, described the payments as "another example of the lack of transparency" by water companies.

YTL initially declined to reveal the source of the extra payments but eventually acknowledged that they came from Wessex Water Ltd. The company claimed that the payments were not bonuses but rather a form of emoluments for services to other group companies, which are disclosed in their financial statements.

However, critics argue that this explanation is unclear and fails to address concerns over transparency. MPs and Ofwat, the regulator of water companies, have already raised questions about the lack of clarity surrounding executive pay from parent companies.

The revelations come as Wessex Water faces criticism for its handling of environmental issues, including a sewage pumping station failure that killed more than 2,000 fish six years ago.

I don't think it's fair to single out these two execs tho... £50k is still a pretty penny . And what if they were just trying to incentivize good performance? The lack of transparency is definitely a concern, but do we really know the full story here? Maybe YTL group was legit paying them for services and it's not just about bonuses? It's all a bit grey, if you ask me...

I think it's pretty reasonable that execs at companies that have been caught out polluting should be getting some kind of compensation, even if it's not in the form of bonuses ... but come on, £50k is a pretty big chunk of change . And what's with the dodgy accounting and trying to spin it as "emoluments"? Sounds like corporate doublespeak to me . I mean, water companies are already getting a pretty sweet deal from the government in terms of regulation... they should be able to cough up some cash for their own mistakes without hiding behind some fancy financial veil .

idk why ytl thinks they can get away with this extra cash . like, what's the point of even havin a ban on bonuses if u just sneak 'em through a holding company? it's all about dodgy accounting and tryin to avoid doin any actual transparency. and now wessex water is facin the heat over their own pollution issues... not exactly what u call "good business" practices . seems like ytl just wants to keep its execs happy with fat cheques while the company's facin criticism for its environmental record... no wonder ppl are gettin skeptical of these big corps

I'm like, really worried about this one ... £50k extra for just doing their job? It's just not right, you know? I mean, what if there were other water companies making similar payments and we're just not finding out about it? And then there's the fact that they weren't disclosed in Wessex Water's accounts... how are we supposed to trust them now?

It's like, one thing is to give them a decent pay packet, but another thing is to be transparent about it. I'm not saying they don't deserve their money or anything, but come on, can't we just know the facts? And to make matters worse, there are still so many unanswered questions about their handling of environmental issues... 2000 fish dead and no one seems to care .

I think we need to do some more digging into this whole thing. Maybe some proper investigations or something. I mean, as a nation, we value transparency and accountability, but it seems like Wessex Water is playing by its own rules .

Ugh, 50k is like, a small fortune and these guys are getting it in the shadows? It's not exactly the most inspiring thing when you consider they're supposed to be taking care of our water supply . I get that there might be some technicality around the payment being from a holding company, but come on, transparency is key here . If they can't even be honest about their own execs' pay, how can we trust them to make decisions for the good of the community? And to add insult to injury, these payments are made at a time when water companies are already being scrutinized over their environmental record... it just doesn't sit right with me .

Ugh I'm literally so fed up with these water companies and their CEO's getting away scot-free! £50,000 each?! Are you kidding me?! It's like they're laughing in our faces while we're still reeling from all the pollution and environmental damage they've caused. And don't even get me started on how transparent (read: not at all) this whole thing is. I mean, what even is Wessex Water Ltd if it's just a fancy shell company to hide their execs' pay? It's just another example of the corporate greed and lack of accountability that's been plaguing our country for far too long. And now they're trying to spin this as some kind of "emoluments" thing? Give me a break! These people need to be held to account for their actions, not fawned over with fat paychecks like they're some kind of royalty. It's just so frustrating and infuriating at the same time

This whole thing just stinks! I mean, we're still reeling from the effects of pollution and now our execs are raking it in extra without us even knowing? It's not just about the money, though that's a big part – it's about accountability. Why should they be able to hide this kind of cash behind a fancy corporate structure?

And let's be real, these guys are getting paid by a company with a history of environmental breaches... what exactly did we get for our hard-earned cash? It's like we're paying them to fix the problems they created in the first place. I'm not buying it.

I know politicians and regulators are on it, but we need more than just words – we need concrete changes. Transparency should be a no-brainer, especially when it comes to corporate accountability.

I'm so done with these water company execs thinkin they can just waltz in here and take a £50k pay bump without us knowin what's goin on . I mean, come on Ruth Jefferson and Andy Pymer, you're gettin paid by YTL group but it's not listed on Wessex Water's accounts? That's like cookin the books, fam!

And don't even get me started on this "emoluments for services" excuse. I ain't buyin it, bro . If they're gettin paid in secret and it's not clear what it is or why, then that's just a bunch of corporate BS .

I'm glad some MPs like Sarah Dyke are speakin out about this lack of transparency. It's time for these water company execs to come clean and stop hidin behind their fancy corporate structures . And to think they're gettin paid while the people who work for them, like the folks at Wessex Water, are dealin with the consequences of pollution

I'm telling you, this is what happens when corporate giants get away with hiding stuff from us . I mean, £50,000 unaccounted for in executive pay? That's just shady business practices if you ask me . And now they're trying to spin it as "emoluments" and whatnot... come on, be honest with us! I'm all for fair compensation and transparency, especially when it comes to our water suppliers . It's like, can't we trust them to do the right thing? The lack of clarity surrounding executive pay is just a red flag waving in the wind ️. And to make matters worse, they're hiding this stuff from us while they face scrutiny over environmental issues... it's just not right

I just saw this video of a sloth that's literally just chillin' in the tree all day and I'm thinking, have you ever noticed how some animals are just so zen? Like, they don't even stress about anything! And it makes me think, why can't we humans be more like them? We're always so worked up about something, whether it's politics or our water bills . I mean, come on, £50,000 is a lot of money, but is it really worth all the drama? Anyway, back to Wessex Water... yeah, they need to get their act together. All this extra pay without disclosing it is just weird . And what's up with these corporate structures, anyway? It's like, can't we just have clear and simple answers for once?

£50k is still £50k . If they're already getting paid decently, what's an extra £24k and £27k between friends? The transparency thing just seems like a PR issue to me... the company's trying to spin it as legit emoluments, but we all know that's just corporate jargon . It's not like they're being banned from bonuses because of actual wrongdoing – they just got lucky their past environmental breaches didn't get them in hot water yet. But honestly, if the gov is cracking down on this kind of thing, maybe Wessex Water and other water companies should be more transparent about their exec pay... or at least have a clear explanation for it .