The OEM’s latest cuts will be in Richmond in data entry and customer service.
Xerox’s site in Richmond, Virginia
NBC12 reported on the job cuts in Richmond, Virginia, which will see 25 staff working in data entry and customer service for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield lose their jobs. The staff found out about the cuts “just days ago”, with the news outlet reporting “it’s been a difficult time for many of them – especially for those who have worked there for a very long time”.
One worker, Ms. Johnson, neglected to give her full name, but noted she had been working there for 11 years, adding that “it was heart-breaking, I was distraught […] it’s the worst [time], we’ve got Thanksgiving coming up, Christmas coming up, it’s the worst”. She worked for Anthem, who said that the cuts were “not their decision” as Xerox is “actually a sub-contractor”.
She added that the situation was “worse for some of her other colleagues” however, with “some who have been there 20 years, 30 years, 35 years, we have one lady who was supposed to retire in a year and a half”. Xerox defended itself by noting it was “just responding to the needs of [its] client”, in this case Anthem, with the Xerox representative adding that all 25 employees will be getting severance packages. 400 Xerox employees still work in the Richmond area at different sites.
48 workers were recently laid off at a Xerox call centre in Dartmouth, Canada, whilst 500 and 67 Xerox call centre staff lost their jobs in two separate locations in North Carolina earlier this year.