Osborne making 7% of staff redundant

Grant Prior 5 years ago
Share

Osborne is making 7% of staff redundant due to the financial impact of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic on the £392m-turnover contractor.

Osborne group chief executive Andy Steele, who is also vice chairman of Build UK, sent an email to all staff this week highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on the company
Osborne group chief executive Andy Steele, who is also vice chairman of Build UK, sent an email to all staff this week highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on the company

Group chief executive Andy Steele sent an email to staff earlier this week outlining plans for 75 job losses.

Steele’s email said the “harsh reality is that as a group, we will experience substantial losses during the first six months of this year.”

Individuals facing redundancy were due to be told yesterday.

Cuts are expected across all divisions as Steele warned “we simply do not have the future secured pipeline to keep you all employed.”

The construction division has been hit hardest as “many committed projects and new bids have been placed on hold by our customers.”

An Osborne statement said: “Osborne has not been immune to the impacts of Covid-19.

“To reduce our operating costs and protect the jobs of our people we promptly introduced a series of measures including furlough, reduced pay and working hours and freezing all non-critical business activity and expenditure.

“At the same time we adopted the industry Standard Operating Procedures and applied Covid-19 specific risk assessments that allowed us to keep operating safely on as many of our projects as possible.

“The impacts of this virus will be long lasting and it is critical that the size of our organisation carefully reflects our forecasted levels of activity.

“Therefore regrettably we have had to restructure our business operations and it is proposed that approximately 75 positions will be made redundant, 7% of our total workforce.”

One Osborne employee who had been furloughed said: “This is a real kick in the teeth for those of us who thought we were going back to work in the summer.”

Jacobs starts redundancy talks with UK staff

Consultant Jacobs has started redundancy consultations with staff due to a drop in demand “not directly related to the current Covid-19 pandemic.”

The Enquirer understands that up to 200 jobs are under threat including 100 in the transport division.

A Jacobs spokesperson said: “In recent months, some of our markets have experienced uncertainty resulting in project delays and cancellations in the UK.

“These delays and cancellations do not directly relate to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This includes some major infrastructure projects.

“We have been carefully reviewing how these changes affect our business and resourcing levels, to ensure our business is structured to deliver sustained growth in the future.

“As a result, we have made the difficult decision to propose a reduction of staff in our UK business and we commenced a consultation process last month.

“As a diverse, global business with more than 11,000 employees in the UK, where possible we are considering alternatives including any redeployment opportunities to safeguard our talent.”

Latest news

Driver escapes injury as scaffold collapses onto van

Major three-lift scaffold fall blocks north London high street
15 hours ago

Gilbert Ash to be sold to staff

£267m turnover contractor to transition to an Employee Ownership Trust
1 day ago

M Group seals biggest-ever deal with Telent takeover

Digital infrastructure specialist deal lifts turnover to £3bn
21 hours ago

Aggregates firm Ashville went down owing more than £3m

Debts revealed in Companies House update
14 hours ago

Cardo saves 100 jobs at Breyer roofing arm

Private equity-backed Welsh maintenance group continues to expand
1 day ago

Excavator knocked off lorry going under bridge

Traffic Commissioner inquiry after accident in south London
15 hours ago

Czech energy tycoon buys UK’s biggest rebar supplier

Spanish offload Celsa UK operation to be rebranded 7 Steel UK
2 days ago

Caddick Construction targets £400m turnover

Regional shake-up pays off at contracting arm
2 days ago

Redrow chief steps down after Barratt merger

Matthew Pratt leaving after 22 years
2 days ago

United Living names new property services senior team

New CEO and COO appointed to lead growth in housing upkeep and retrofit
2 days ago

Wynne triples turnover in three years to over £90m

Five-year growth strategy pays off
2 days ago

Speedy Hire blames Budget for branch closures

National Insurance rises accelerate closure programme
2 days ago

Builder gets suspended sentence for Covid loan fraud

M&E specialist inflated turnover to claim maximum loan
2 days ago

Scores of M&E firms win places on £400m CHIC framework

Axis Europe and Seddon secured spots on social housing deal
3 days ago

Coroner hears how worker was crushed under digger

Inquest opens into tragedy at Rose Builders site
3 days ago

Billington lowers 2025 forecast amid pricing pressure

Tender prices under pressure due to project delays and cancellations
3 days ago

Willmott Dixon lands Dover town centre revamp

Alliance agreed to regenerate several key council sites
3 days ago

Go-ahead for London City office-to-flats scheme

Hub's 150 Minories job in Aldgate to create 280 co-living homes
3 days ago

Wates mobilises as £200m Middlesbrough scheme approved

Gresham Street scheme includes a hotel, 240 flats and over 400 student rooms
3 days ago

Crashed M&E contractor TNA owed supply chain £7m

Sister company buys assets including company vans
4 days ago

Renaker eyes bumper 2025 despite Gateway 2 concern

Strong construction pipeline to support another record year
4 days ago

Wessex Water picks civils firms for £65m framework

Over 40 smaller firms will support AMP8 civils spending programme
4 days ago

Green light for nearly 400 flats at Leeds scheme

Three blocks up to 18 storeys approved at Armley Road
4 days ago

Subcontractors wanted across South London

Work up for grabs from main contractors and clients: Register now for Constructionline event
4 days ago

Heavy lorry ban on Severn Bridge as cables deteriorate

Crossing "not designed and built for today’s levels or weight of traffic"
4 days ago

Muse submits Oldham town centre regeneration plan

Plan advances for six sites to deliver 2000 homes, an hotel and office space
7 days ago

Construction returns to growth after two tough months

Concern grows Trump turmoil is spooking property investors
7 days ago

Skanska wins £43m Clifton Bridge deal

Contractors says scheme is a "complex project that will be delivered to tight timescales"
7 days ago

Green light for 44-storey Manchester resi tower

Developer Glenbrook to start hunt for main contractor
1 week ago

Ten win £670m Network Rail eastern region small works deal

CK Rail, QTS, Colt and Construction Marine pick up two lots
1 week ago

Contractor services