Holiday firm First Choice has embarked on a 90-day consultation with 150 back-office HR, finance and ticketing staff about outsourcing their roles.
HR director Jacky Simmonds said the company had selected its outsourcing partner, but insisted further research was needed before a final decision was made.
“It is something we are considering so we had to let staff know,” she said.
Simmonds stressed that any potential changes would not happen until 2007.
The cuts would take place from the company’s holidays division, which employs about 7,500 people and operates from more than 300 stores across the UK. It accounted for about half the group’s profits last year.
A statement from First Choice said: “As part of First Choice’s strategy of operating an efficient, high-quality, low-cost business model, the sector constantly assesses and reviews all parts of the business on an ongoing basis to ensure it operates in the most cost-effective way possible.
“The objective is to retain as many of those staff… as possible, and every assistance is being offered in finding alternative suitable roles.”
