In 1997, the Labour Court recommended that William Todd and Company Limited pay a £15,000 lump sum to 25 full-time sales staff after part-time staff were added to the commission pool. The recommendation was signed on 28 October 1997. Mandate said the change reduced full-time staff earnings while saving William Todd and Company Limited £9,000 a year, and sought compensation. William Todd and Company Limited said commission was variable, part-time staff should receive equitable treatment, and the number sharing the pool remained lower than in 1990. The Court said the change had caused loss of earnings for full-time staff and that the affected employees had not been consulted. It recommended that the lump sum be divided among the 25 workers on an agreed basis.