Hundreds more jobs are likely to go at ASOS’ customer care centre in Leavesden, the Observer understands.
Staff at the customer care centre in Hercules Way found out on Wednesday that their jobs were on the line.
It comes after ASOS axed its night customer care team in Leavesden in May, instead outsourcing its operations to a third party, believed to be based in Asia.
The Observer understands Wednesday’s news is a “continuation” from May and the decision to outsource its operations further is not due to the impact of Covid-19.
A 45-day collective consultation will begin at the end of this month with affected employees, and although it is understood ASOS will try and find alternative roles for those affected, there will be redundancies.
The Observer has been told by staff that as many as 400 to 500 employees could be involved in this consultation.
Correspondence from ASOS chief executive Nick Beighton, shared with employees, and seen by the Observer, states that the fashion retailer wants to turn customer care into a “scalable, performance driven globally focused contact centre” and to do that it would need a “global control centre”, although ASOS says the global centre will still be based in Leavesden.
Story from March: More jobs set to go at ASOS centre in Leavesden
During the pandemic, ASOS has added 700,000 new customers around the world.
A global customer care centre is the result of the “changing nature of its customers”, many of whom are “requiring help from different time zones and in different languages”.
Earlier this month, ASOS said it will repay cash to the government it claimed for furloughing workers after its sales grew in lockdown.
The online retailer said that group sales increased by 10 per cent to £1billion in the four months to June 30.
ASOS has confirmed it took part in the furlough scheme for April only. No cash was applied for in May, June, or July.
Staff who have been in touch with the Observer say they feel “cheated” by the news of redundancies after being under the impression the company was performing well.
An ASOS source has said that this latest round of redundancies was planned before the pandemic.
We’re told the company is “returning to its pre-pandemic plan of reshaping the organisation to make it more efficient as it delivers on the ambition of being one of the few truly global leaders in retail”.
The number of jobs that will go remains unknown. ASOS claims it found a “significant proportion” of roles for those affected by May’s redundancies, and expect “hundreds of jobs” to remain in Leavesden following the latest consultation, including a "proportion" of those currently at risk.
Trade union GMB has reported that 300 jobs were lost in May - although ASOS has never put a figure on the number of jobs lost - and organiser Steve Garelick says the union “will be doing all it can” to ensure current jobs are protected.
He described the redundancy notice as a “kick in the teeth” for those who have worked through the pandemic.
