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Around a third of the site’s 2,900 staff will see their jobs cut or be relocated
Today, BT has reportedly informed staff at its Adastral Park site in Ipswich that it intends to reduce the site’s workforce by roughly 1,100 over the next two years.
The site, which spans over 100 acres and includes BT Labs, currently employs around 2,900 people in various roles, from research and development to core network operations.
Some members of staff will face redundancy, with the operator offering staff the chance chance to relocate to other BT locations in the UK “wherever possible”.
Back in May, BT announced that it will aim to cut roughly 55,000 jobs – around 40% of its current workforce – by the end of the decade, citing the need for more streamlined operations and digitalisation in today’s tough economic climate. The company has been trying to generate significant cost-savings for years, last year increasing its target to £3 billion in cost-reductions by 2025, of which job cuts will play a key role.
However, today’s announcements surrounding staffing at Adastral Park are seemingly not part of these wider cost-saving measures, but are rather taking place as a result of the company’s Better Workplace Programme, which aims to consolidate staff in fewer and more modern buildings.
“We’re consolidating into a smaller number of buildings around the UK that provide cutting edge technology and great working environments for our people,” explained BT in a statement. “As part of these activities, we’re proposing to reduce the size of our presence at Adastral Park and move some roles to other BT Group locations over the next two years.”
Nonetheless, the operator says it remains “committed to Adastral Park for the long-term” and will continue to invest in the site in future, nothing that the location requires “significant investment to modernise”.
The operator said that it currently has no plans to sell the land or any of the roughly 100 buildings it owns at Adastral Park, but it will be consolidating staff into a smaller number of offices and other spaces on-site.
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