Police Scotland has spent more than £5 million settling out-of-court employment dispute claims in the past 10 years.
More than £3 million was also paid in gagging orders associated with the settlements.
Figures released through freedom of information show the force paid £5,346,128 across 102 cases settled out of court in that time, for claims including discrimination on the grounds of disability, age, sex, religion, race, and pregnancy.
Claims were also settled for unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, harassment and victimisation, deduction of wages, and a joint claim from 1,200 officers on holiday pay.
Police Scotland said it had also paid £3,276,663 since 2018 on 60 non-disclosure agreements for employment claims which were settled before a full hearing.
Reasons for the gagging orders included commercial interests, preventing the settlement sum becoming public, it being in the interests of the force, or for employee relations purposes.
Most of the money for the non-disclosure agreements, £2,134,023, was paid out in 2022, across 19 cases.
The total spent on employment claim settlements in the past decade could be higher, as Police Scotland said it was unable to locate records of settlements in 2015 or 2016, but that this did not necessarily mean there were none.
The force added that the information has only been specifically recorded since 2020, meaning there may have been more settlements between 2017 and 2019 for which records have not been found.
The largest yearly total was paid out in 2023, due to the joint claim on holiday pay, when the force paid £2,169,523.
But the year with the greatest number of settlements was 2022, when 26 cases were settled at a total cost of £1,389,318. Last year, there were 18 cases settled out of court at a cost of £518,827.
The force has also paid out substantial sums in recent years through employment tribunals which did go to full hearings.
Lorna Robertson, Scottish Police Federation deputy general secretary, told 1919: “The fact that we still receive a high number of applications for legal advice and assistance for employment disputes demonstrates that there is still work to be done within the service to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated.
“There must be organisational learning. There is a balance to be struck with all cases in determining whether they should proceed to a final tribunal hearing, it isn’t all about financial cost.
“The fact that we still receive a high number of applications for legal advice and assistance for employment disputes demonstrates that there is still work to be done within the service to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated”
“Often, cases settle because the officer wants to return to the job they love. Acknowledgement of wrongdoing or adverse experiences is just as important to them in any settlement as a financial element is.
“Preventing cases from proceeding to a tribunal can often allow for trust to be rebuilt between officers and the service, so whilst the amount paid out may appear high, the human cost is more significant.”
1919 has previously reported how Police Scotland is facing rising numbers of employment tribunals.
Figures released in November showed the force was taken to court 143 times since 2020, paying out more than £850,000. The number of tribunals has almost trebled from 15 in 2020/21 to 40 in 2024/25.
Last year, PC Denise Gemmell was awarded more than £43,000 for loss of earnings and injury to feelings after an independent employment tribunal ruled she had been victimised.
She took Police Scotland to a tribunal as she felt the service’s own grievance procedure had not given her “justice”, as her complaint was not upheld.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Compensation payments are dealt with on a case-by-case basis with a view to securing best value for the public purse.
“The organisation has introduced learning processes in order to support the understanding of managers of how they can support their people and ensure that all opportunities are taken to resolve matters in advance of escalation.”