AXA PPP Healthcare has written to its staff asking them to help the company save money by choosing between job losses and cuts to their pay and conditions.
Staff at the health insurance firm’s office inTunbridge Wells have been given the opportunity to vote on which money-saving options should be implemented: a cut of300 jobs, a 10% pay cut, or other money-saving options such as turning off the air conditioning.
The online vote was split into two sections. The first section enabled staff to choose between the job cut, salary cut, ending bonuses for two to three years, or increasing working hours by 10% without increasing pay.
The second vote invited staff to choose six out of 12 staff benefits, to be either reduced or abolished. The list included cancelling the Christmas party and gift, ending ‘Fruity Fridays’, where staff receive free fruit every other week, losing car parking allowances, restrictions on maternity benefits and switching off the air conditioning.
A spokesman for AXA PPP told the BBC the move had been taken to reduce operating costs during the challenging economic climate.
