AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AT IRON BOW TECHNOLOGIES

Stephen Levine May 17, 2019

Am I Next? Iron Bow Technologies to close Tampa, Florida call center.

Herndon, Virginia-based Iron Bow Technologies LLC, IT services provider to commercial, industrial, and government clients worldwide, has announced the complete closure of its 24,000 square-foot Tampa, Florida call center which was opened in 2017 to provide contact and fulfillment services to Maryland-based CareFirst, a Blue Cross Blue Shield provider of medical, vision and dental insurance. The closure will affect 178 employees. The decision was driven by CareFirst’s desire bring the call center functions in-house. According to the company’s President and CEO, Rene LaVigne, “It wasn’t performance-related at all, but was essentially a business decision to bring that work back in-house. Despite the outcome, Iron Bow had a good experience in Tampa and would consider the city again for a similar operation.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AT FIRST STUDENT (05/08/24)

Stephen Levine May 15, 2019

Am I Next? First Student loses contract.

MAY 8, 2024 — 253 PENNSYLVANIA LAYOFFS

The company has announced the closure of two locations, Greenburg, Pennsylvania, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the layoff of 253 employees on June 30, 2024

The closures will impact 80 in Greensburg and 173 workers in Allentown.

The decision was driven by the loss of the Hempfield Area School District and the Allentown School District contracts.

According to a company spokesperson, “First Student has been proud to serve the communities for years, and while disappointed, our goal is to ensure a smooth transition for the districts, and we remain focused on delivering safe transportation through the remainder of the school year. First Student is also committed to assisting our employees through this process. We want to retain as many of them as possible and are helping them find employment at other company locations in the area. Our drivers are the best trained in the industry, and we appreciate the care and dedication they have shown to the families we serve in these communities.”

JUNE 12, 2021 — 228 EMPLOYEES WERE LAID OFF AS THE SAN FRANCISCO BAYVIEW FACILITY CLOSED

The company has announced the closure of its San Francisco Bayview facility which will impact 228 employees, including bus drivers, dispatchers, mechanics, fuelers, and support staff.

It was reported that the closure is related to the San awarding a transportation contract to another vendor.

MAY 15, 2019 — Original Post…

It is a well-known story among employees of contracted service providers. Cincinnati, Ohio-based First Student, a leading provider of school bus transportation to public and private schools, has lost the contract to provide busing services to the Kansas City Public Schools. It will close its Kansas City facility and lay off 293 employees.

In filing a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act notification with the State of Missouri, the company noted, “The loss of this contract effectively ends our business interests in the Kansas City, MO., district," the letter states. "As a result of these sudden, unforeseen business circumstances, First Student expects its location to experience a permanent closing.”

Even though First Student’s bid was significantly lower, the school system appears to have awarded its 3-year $45 million contract to Student Transportation of America, partly because of technology that allows parents to track the location of their child’s school bus. First Student is threatening a lawsuit.

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE -- LAYOFFS AT CONCENTRIX (05/04/21)

Stephen Levine April 3, 2019

MAY 4, 2021 — 422 LAYOFFS IN LAREDO, TEXAS

The company has announced that it will be laying off 422 employees at its call center located in Laredo, Texas, commencing on August 21, 2021.

The decision was a normal personnel rebalancing effort after the loss of a major customer.

JANUARY 23, 2020 — LAYOFFS IN TAMPA, FLORIDA

The company has announced that it will be laying off 174 employees on or around March 21, 2020 due to the loss of a customer contract. The loss includes 162 agents, 1 operations manager, 10 team leaders, and 1 trainer.

This is the second round of layoffs this year. 245 employees were laid off at this center that was announced in November 2019 and scheduled for January 17, 2020.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 — LAYOFFS IN LONGVIEW, TEXAS

The company’s call center in Longview, Texas has announced the lay offs of 177 employees in commencing on November 15, 2019.

According to a company spokesperson, the layoffs are a result of normal business activities and the loss of a contractual client who is changing their business plan.

JUNE 30, 2019 — LAYOFFS IN SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN

Concentrix has announced the loss of another major customer and will be laying off 129 workers in Southfield, Michigan by August 30, 2019.

According to a company spokesperson "We do take all our program closures seriously. "Decisions always will be driven by doing the right thing for our clients and our staff."

APRIL 22, 2019 — ADDITIONAL LAYOFFS IN WATERTOWN, NEW YORK

The company has announced the closure of its Watertown, New York facility that will result in the termination of 244 employees. The layoffs should not come as a surprise to workers since the facility was purchased from Convergys and it was known that there would be a period of corporate consolidation.

APRIL 9, 2019 — ADDITIONAL LAYOFFS IN TUCSON, ARIZONA

The company has filed a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice indicating a layoff of 785 employees at its West Tucson, Arizona call center. The decision was driven by the restructuring after Concentrix acquired Convergys and its Tucson operation.

Original post…

Fremont, California-based Concentrix, a subsidiary of Synnex Corporation and a provider of business process outsourcing service, has announced that it plans to lay off 318 employees in its Greenville, North Carolina contact center in May 2019. The decision was driven by business changes in contracted service programs.

The company previously announced the layoff of 173 employees in its Charlotte, North Carolina contact center around April 2019, noting “This is due to a change in business strategy.”

The company is undergoing additional restructuring from the acquisition of Cincinnati, Ohio-based Convergys which saw 258 employees losing their jobs in Northern Kentucky, 232 employees in New York, and 209 employees in Michigan.

While business process outsourcing vendors use a flexible staffing model that responds to contractual obligations and is susceptible to contract losses, the call center/customer engagement industry is consolidating with many positions transferred offshore where personnel costs are lower.