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Euro jobs cut threat hit us like a train, say Systemax workers

The reward for good work: not more work, this time

Systemax staff are shellshocked in the wake of the revelation that jobs in Europe - the region leading growth across the company - are to be cut.

The reseller is consolidating back-office functions into a shared services centre in Eastern Europe as well as shuttering two retail brands and closing down PC production lines stateside.

This is all in response to declining sales in the US, largely in the consumer tech world. In contrast the business-to-business operation on this side of the Atlantic has done relatively well.

Some workers said they were made aware of the shakeup by reading about Systemax's SEC filing in The Channel on 2 November - which contained just as much information as the details they received from the company on that day.

"No one told us anything more, so we're all very concerned not hearing if we've got a job or not," said one insider, who added that a further update from the company is expected in the next few weeks.

Whisperings from those within Systemax say that the business is also restructuring along vertical customer lines and rejigging its locations. Sources claim the sales outpost in Walthamstow, east London, is closing and some peeps will transfer to a new branch in the capital's Liverpool Street to oversee customers in the finance sector.

Question marks also hang over the future of the building in Farnham, Surrey, inherited through the WStore acquisition. Staff claim the sales and marketing teams may be asked to relocate to London.

Insiders said the sales teams looked to be in the safest position, with around sixty to seventy graduates recently brought on board to cold-call customers.

Channel folk outside of Systemax questioned its centralisation proposals: "That may work with HR and finance but purchasing needs to be done on a country by country basis [as a one size fits all doesn't work]", one well-placed source said.

Systemax did not respond to a call for comment. ®

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