CHESAPEAKE
The HSBC call center in Chesapeake is undergoing a "restructuring" of its operations that will involve some job losses.
HSBC Card Services Inc., on Kristina Way in the Greenbrier area of the city, handles customer calls from and to HSBC credit card holders. The office employs 1,200 people, said Steven Wright, Chesapeake's economic development director.
Officials of HSBC, an international bank based in London, confirmed Friday the restructuring but would not disclose layoff numbers.
The company announced the changes to workers on Thursday but is still in discussions with them, and some workers will be offered other HSBC jobs, said Cindy Savio, a spokeswoman at HSBC's North American headquarters in Mettawa, Ill.
"It's a certain number of positions that are being impacted," Savio said. "We're discontinuing some of the functions.
"It's too early to say what the number is," she said.
Affected employees were given 30-days notice of the changes in their jobs, Savio said.
Wright said he has heard about possible job cuts at HSBC and his office has contacted the company to find out the status. "We have not been able to verify that they are indeed doing layoffs," he said.
The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers in some circumstances to notify those losing their jobs and state officials 60 days in advance.
Most employers with at least 100 full-time workers must file the notification when they close an office or operating unit with 50 or more full-time workers; lay off 50 to 499 full-time workers that represent at least a third of their work force at that site; or lay off 500 or more full-timers at a single site. Savio said HSBC won't file a WARN notice but didn't say why.
This is the second company in a week to announce layoffs in Chesapeake. On April 3, International Paper said it will close its corrugated container plant in the Deep Creek area, eliminating about 100 jobs.
Carolyn Shapiro, (757) 446-2270, carolyn.shapiro@pilotonline.com
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Crisis
Well the world crisis has affected most businesses , especially big business, but still firms do not realize that great answering services is what attracts many clients, they should fire people from other departments
More uemployment for hampton roads
Losing those call centers now. First USAA, and now HSBC. They both have been around for a good while now...not anymore. Whose next, Amerigroup, American Funds, Geico or Cox????
the last call center in Chesapeake I heard about....
doing this restructuring thing completely closed it's doors. A really rotten deal with MANY who worked there. Fastfood joints, call centers and motels/hotels.......yowzer - those are some high fallutin' jobs out in chesapeake, eh?