Reduction of 600 staff members at Sky UK announced
Sky, the media group owned by Comcast, has announced plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs from its customer call centres across the UK. The affected call centres are located in Stockport, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Dunfermline, and other sites in Leeds, Livingston, and Osterley.
The job cuts, which primarily affect frontline customer support staff, are a result of Sky's shift towards more online and AI-driven services. This move is part of the company's strategy to bring customers the next generation of experience by investing in digital-first service, unbeatable content, and even better performance from its products, powered by the best of global innovation.
Sky has already reduced its workforce by around 3,000 over the past two years, mainly in the field of dish installation. The consultation process for these latest job cuts will begin shortly, affecting about two-thirds of the 900 employees being consulted. Two call centres, in Newcastle and Dunfermline, will be scaled back.
The government is keen to show progress in its new industrial strategy, with Labour announcing £50 billion in new investment. Sky is appealing for the Elstree North development to support the growth of the creative industries, which have been identified as one of eight key growth sectors in Britain.
In a poll of 10,000 employees, Sky has revealed that the remainder are expected to be redeployed elsewhere in the business. The company is currently undergoing a significant period of product renewal, including the launch of the new Sky Glass and Sky Stream products.
Sky employs in the region of 23,000 people in the UK and the government is eager to support businesses like Sky as they adapt to the changing landscape of the digital age. The consultation period for job cuts will provide an opportunity for employees to understand the changes and discuss potential opportunities for redeployment.
