Global accounting and consulting firm Deloitte will close four of its 50 British offices in the coming months as the company reviews its real estate portfolio amid the coronavirus pandemic, but no jobs will be lost due to the closures.
COVID-19 has changed working life for millions of people around the world, many of whom have switched from offices to working from home – reducing demand for office space and prompting companies to opt out of lease renewals.
Deloitte said it would shut its offices in Gatwick, Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton, where about 500 people work.
“COVID-19 has fast-tracked our future of work programme, leading us to review our real estate portfolio and how we use our offices across the UK, including London”, Stephen Griggs, Deloitte’s UK managing partner, said in an emailed statement.
He said all staff based at the four locations slated for closure will continue to be employed by Deloitte, adding that “any proposed change is to our ‘bricks and mortar’, not our presence in these regions”.
The Financial Times newspaper, which first reported the closures, said the affected employees would be moved to other locations or offered full-time remote working.
The company did not provide further details.
In April, Deloitte said it would be cutting pay for partners at its British businesses by 20% to protect jobs during the coronavirus crisis.
