Virgin Media O2 (VMO2), one of the UK’s largest telecoms operators, is preparing job cuts that could affect thousands of people. According to the BBC, following an earlier Sky News report, the company has not finalised the number of roles to go, but it is expected to be a sizeable share of its roughly 16,000 staff. One Sky News source put the figure at up to 4,000.
More details are expected on Tuesday 3 November, when the company publishes its third-quarter results. VMO2 declined to comment.
Why now
According to the BBC, VMO2’s debt stood at £27.2bn at the end of June, against assets of £45.9bn. The company also faces tougher competition. BT has agreed to buy TalkTalk, a deal VMO2 opposed. Meanwhile, the £2bn bid for fibre network Netomnia through nexfibre has stalled: the Competition and Markets Authority provisionally found competition concerns, with a final decision due in December.
The cuts are expected to fall mainly on non-customer-facing roles. The company is also expected to review its use of contractors and suppliers – important news for people working on the network through agencies or as subcontractors, including many Polish engineers and small installation firms.
The Prospect union called the plans “disappointing and very unsettling”. Deputy general secretary Noel McClean said the union would work to reduce redundancies and secure retraining and redeployment.
What it means: your rights in a collective redundancy
The point is simple: in large-scale redundancies a UK employer cannot act overnight. The law sets minimum timescales and gives employees specific payments. Here is what the official GOV.UK guidance says:
- Consultation. If 20–99 redundancies are proposed at one establishment within 90 days, consultation must start at least 30 days before the first dismissal. For 100 or more, at least 45 days. The employer must also notify the Redundancy Payments Service on form HR1.
- Written information. The employer must give representatives the reasons, the numbers and categories of roles affected and the selection method, among other details.
- Statutory redundancy pay. Usually available after at least 2 years with the employer. For each full year: half a week’s pay (under 22), one week’s pay (22–40) or one and a half weeks’ pay (41 and over). Service is capped at 20 years.
- Cap. For redundancies from 6 April 2026, weekly pay is capped at £751 and the maximum statutory redundancy pay is £22,530.
- Deadline. You have 6 months from the end of your job to claim.
What to watch
Statutory pay is a minimum. Your contract or company policy may offer more, so check your documents. Agency workers and self-employed subcontractors are usually not entitled to redundancy pay from VMO2; their position depends on their contract with the agency or client.
Polish businesses supplying VMO2 or its subcontractors should check notice periods in their contracts and any outstanding invoices now. A supplier review usually means renegotiated rates or fewer orders.
Free advice is available from Acas, the public employment advisory service.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice.
Sources:
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