One of Perth’s largest employers has moved to allay speculation that one of its major departments is to close.
An employee of Aviva, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted The Courier to claim there is uncertainty over its household claims department, and alleged this has led to some staff suffering from stress and “pressure”.
The staff member also claimed there is a “total freeze” on recruitment at the Perth branch of Aviva and said many employees are being asked to undertake extra duties.
He said: “At present there are fixed and variable shift patterns in Perth. However, the fixed staff have been told by senior leaders over the last week or two that if they don’t agree to change their work patterns, they will be forced to go on to variable contracts.
“These contracts were forced on staff a few years ago with the proviso: if you don’t sign, your contract will be terminated.”
He continued: “Many staff within the claims unit are very unhappy at the present conditions; it is so bad with lack of staff that if someone needs to go to a printer, they have to ask for permission and staff who do not ask get reported to managers.”
A spokesman for Aviva brushed aside the claims, stating the company regards its Perth operation as a “key centre of excellence”.
“Any speculation about closing Aviva’s household operation in Perth is completely untrue,” he said. “We’ve plans to put a new gym at the Perth site, which shows our commitment and sign of growth there.
“We are naturally concerned about any member of staff who is feeling stressed and have many internal and external resources to help employees feeling under pressure.”
He added: “Aviva has a long and proud history in Perth, which was reinforced in 2013 when we purchased the Perth Pitheavlis site, where around 1,100 people work. We are proud of our workforce there.”