UK Retailer Comet Cutting Call Center Jobs in Somerset

By Tracey E. Schelmetic
TMCnet Contributor

UK retailer Comet is in trouble: big trouble. The retailer recently announced it would close about 40 stores this month, and is currently offering clearance sales at those stores. According to UK newspaper the Telegraph, administrator Deloitte (News - Alert), which is overseeing the retailer’s bankruptcy, is cutting over 600 jobs by effectively closing the brand's home delivery network to new orders.

There’s bad news for the employees in the company’s call centers, as well.

Deloitte announced this week that 56 call center jobs will be eliminated at the company’s call center facility in Clevedon, in Somerset in the southwest of England. This will be the second cut from the call center: 42 employees had already been given pink slips.

In an attempt to save the retailer, Deloitte has announced that another 735 jobs will be cut across the firm, including the jobs in North Somerset, the newspaper This Bristol is reporting this week. The news site is also reporting that a dedicated helpline has been set up for all employees, and the company is running an Employee Assistance Program that will attempt to help laid-off employees find new jobs.

"Discussions continue to take place with parties who have expressed interest in parts of the business. However, it is unfortunately necessary to begin a store closure program and to scale back the company's support functions,” said joint administrator Chris Farrington. “While we will continue to do all we can to preserve jobs, we are working hard to put in place comprehensive support to help those employees who are made redundant during the Administration.”

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