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Insurance giant to close Ipswich office axing 300 jobs
The Direct Line office in Ipswich will shut in 2022, taking with it 300 jobs. Picture: ARCHANT - Credit: Archant
Direct Line is closing its Ipswich office – with the loss of 300 jobs.
A spokeswoman confirmed the insurance giant is closing its office on Friar Street in 2022, as part of 800 job cuts across the UK.
Employees were called into an emergency meeting this morning and told the news. Employees will get 12 months notice of the planned closure date.
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The spokeswoman said: "Today we have told our people that we will be closing the Ipswich office which we propose will happen in 2022 giving our people 2 years to prepare.
"We have promised to give our people at least 12 months' notice of the final date.
"Like many companies we are having to prepare for changes in the way we operate reflecting changing customer behaviour where people are increasingly opting to interact with us digitally.
"We are therefore proposing a number of changes across the business which sadly mean the loss of jobs for some of our people.
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"These decisions are always really difficult, we take the wellbeing of our people very seriously and have given people as much time as possible to prepare.
"We will be working with our Employee Representative Body to make sure people are well supported through the process including helping them to find alternative employment by working with local organisations and providing CV and interview training."
One member of staff, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "We were all called into an emergency meeting at 11am this morning so they could give us the news about the job losses before it broke on the news.
"I've been here six years and I enjoy this job, the people here are great - it's devastating.
"There are some people that have worked here 30 years, 40 years, their whole lives, and now they're being told they'll have to go and get another job.
"I'm going to have to go back to work now while I'm working out what I do next, I have to start applying for jobs.
"I live with my parents at the moment and I'm saving up to buy a flat with my partner, I was meant to be looking at mortgages, this has thrown a massive spanner in the works.
"It's really upsetting that it was going into the media first as well."
