Willmott Dixon is to make around 5% of its workforce – around 100 employees – redundant as a result of disruption to its operations caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The company said the job losses would be spread evenly across its seven regional offices and would be voluntary redundancies wherever possible.
Willmott Dixon said it expected its turnover this year to fall by up to 20%, while it faces uncertainty on future order volumes, which could result in a delay or cancellation of some projects this year, as well as in 2021.
Group chief executive Rick Willmott said: “When covid-19 started to take hold earlier this year and to affect our way of life, we knew it would have a serious impact on the economy, we just didn’t know how severe it would be and for how long. Over the past two months, it’s become apparent that the pandemic will remain with us for the medium term and it could be next year before we return to some semblance of normality.
“Through the measures we have already taken and with the support of various government initiatives, we have tried to weather this storm as best as possible and protect jobs.
“Unfortunately, the worsening economic situation means we have to take further steps to safeguard our future as we accept our company will not be returning to pre-covid levels of output and workload in the near future.
“We are facing a prolonged period of lower outputs and reduced turnover and need to adapt to this quickly. This means reviewing how best to balance the number of people who work for us with predicted future trading levels, something our local management teams are doing based on their detailed knowledge of regional markets, opportunities and risks. Regrettably, based on our forecast activity, we anticipate this review will lead to a small number of our people, around 5% on average, leaving our seven regional offices.”
Willmott concluded: “I am saddened that in the space of a few months and having seen so many people pull together in a way that I couldn’t have imagined was possible, we now find ourselves in this position. We will take the next steps with compassion and consideration for the hugely talented people I have always been proud to work with.
“While this is a tough process, it will help ensure our company is in the best position to cope with the long-term impacts of covid-19, to continue providing our customers with the quality of service and delivery they expect, and enable us to remain resilient to the pandemic’s ongoing impacts.”
