Enhanced redundancy offer made to Firstsource employees

Firstsource employees in Derry currently facing redundancy have been offered a considerably improved pay enhancement on top of their statutory redundancy, Derry News has learned.

The employees were initially offered 10% by Results CX, the Firstsource ‘competitor’ handling the Derry redundancy negotiations. That has now been upped to 24%.

It is believed the latest offer would translate to an approximate £3,000 uplift to the redundancy payment for the majority of Firstsource advisors.

In late May, Firstsource revealed it was beginning a “redundancy consultation process” with its employees in Derry and Belfast. The company was seeking 200 redundancies.

At the time, a spokesperson for the company said: “The changing priorities of one of our clients, Sky, means they are making proposals to adjust services currently being delivered across both sites.”

It subsequently emerged, three senior Firstsource staff members - its chief executive officer, financial director, and head of human resources - left the firm prior to the redundancy announcement and took up employment with Results CX. The Firstsource Derry jobs are currently being transferred to Results CX.

An employee who wished to remain anonymous told Derry News negotiations regarding the latest  offer were ongoing with Results CX and would require approval by way of a ballot. 

Correspondence shared with Firstsource representatives on Friday and seen by this newspaper outlined the options Firstsource employees had under the TUPE transfer process.

TUPE or (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) is the legal framework which safeguards employees' rights when a business (or a part of it) is transferred from one owner to another, or where there is a change of service provider.

Employees were told they could sign a settlement agreement and leave Firstsource with an enhanced redundancy package or be redeployed into another Firstsource role.

However, if employees chose to TUPE transfer to Results CX, they were informed, the company would propose redundancy and a second consultation period post transfer in October.

The Results CX letter said: “To create a more favourable option for individuals than to TUPE transfer, an offering of an enhancement of 24% of base salary instead of 10% has been made. 

“Draft Redundancy quotes will be sent out in due course.

“This is more financially beneficial than an individual’s alternative option  to TUPE transfer and go into consultation post transfer date for either 30 or 90 days depending on the numbers who transfer.”

It is believed, Firstsource employees wishing to avail of the settlement option will receive their agreement this week, along with information on how to get their agreement independently signed by a solicitor.