The final pay-out to Christchurch City Council's former CEO is being described as exceptionally high.

Tony Marryatt was placed on gardening leave in July last year, and didn't formally leave the company until November.

His final pay check, which included a regular salary for that period, annual leave, and a severance package, amounts to $800,000.

Employment lawyer Kathryn Dalziel says the secrecy around Marryatt's departure makes it hard to determine why it was so high.

"Because we don't know the issues, I don't know what's come into it but it does seem high in the context of the sort of settlements that I'm seeing in Christchurch at the moment."