Australian hardware giant Bunnings has denied it is on the cusp of cutting hundreds of jobs, despite multiple insiders reporting that a review the company’s back office will see as many as 300 jobs on the line.
The company, which is owned by Perth-based conglomerate Wesfarmers, employs 53,000 people across the country, with 1600 hundred people employed in the in its Melbourne head office.
“Now that we’re on the other side of the most disruptive part of the pandemic we’re reviewing our support centre resourcing to ensure we’re set-up for the future,” a Bunnings spokesperson told The West Australian.
“We periodically review the our team resourcing to make sure we have the right skills and capabilities to support our growth strategy,” they said.
According to insider reports, positions in training, communications, and support services are under threat, however it is understood not all reduncies will be from currently employed positions, with the company expected to use currently unfilled roles to reach its headcount number.
Bunnings overhauled its development team during the lockdown, however it is now understood to be seeking to shift training and human resources to an online model.
The suspected restructuring come as Australians face an increasingly difficult economic climate, with interest rates and energy costs pushing up the cost mortgage repayments, fuel and groceries – all of which are anticipated to impact discretionary spending habits.