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NEW: large numbers of contact tracers were suddenly fired yesterday by Test and Trace
A manager at Sitel, which runs part of the call centre operation, said it had been told “to reduce the numbers of staff as the number of cases reduces” http://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-contact-tracers-fired-after-test-and-trace-told-to-reduce-staff-as-case-numbers-fall-12208997
A manager at Sitel, which runs part of the call centre operation, said it had been told “to reduce the numbers of staff as the number of cases reduces” http://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-contact-tracers-fired-after-test-and-trace-told-to-reduce-staff-as-case-numbers-fall-12208997
I'm told more contact tracers are being fired today. One found out it was going to happen from my article
@JonAshworth said: "This is the latest in a sorry saga and a shoddy way to treat staff involved"
Sitel and DHSC have not responded yet to my requests for comment
@JonAshworth said: "This is the latest in a sorry saga and a shoddy way to treat staff involved"
Sitel and DHSC have not responded yet to my requests for comment
This is one of the internal Test and Trace messages I've been sent
"Whole teams have been let go"
"Whole teams have been let go"
Contact tracers have been hit very hard by this news. They knew the work was temporary but they didn't think they'd be fired suddenly without what they regard as a proper explanation
They have a week's notice period
They have a week's notice period
There's been no official announcement of staff cuts at T&T, but epidemiologists expect contact tracing to play a significant role in the future, even if (when) the vaccine makes it possible to release lockdown
Does this latest move mark a change of strategy?
Does this latest move mark a change of strategy?
A message from a contact tracer, reposted with permission. I understand that Sitel's contract with T&T was extended to 31 May in mid-January. Then, yesterday, managers were called into an "emergency meeting"....
If anyone else wants to get in touch, my DMs are always open
If anyone else wants to get in touch, my DMs are always open
UPDATE: Sitel have now sent an email to Test and Trace staff
"We are seeing some ongoing and sustained reductions in the volumes Sitel are being asked to deal with and in turn we need to realign our business in order to meet with the Client's requirements"
"We are seeing some ongoing and sustained reductions in the volumes Sitel are being asked to deal with and in turn we need to realign our business in order to meet with the Client's requirements"
I'm told that T&T has been quieter than normal recently, as you'd expect during lockdown, but if restrictions are lifted you'd expect there to be more contacts. This move seems to bank on cases staying down
Hearing from more and more contact tracers who've been sacked. Obviously there are questions over strategy but just on a human level it's so sad. When I've been in this kind of situation the only remedy has been going to the pub with my colleagues. They can't even do that
Another message from a contact tracer
The irony of the obviously scripted conversation is just too on the nose
The irony of the obviously scripted conversation is just too on the nose
The message sacked contact tracers have been sent today by Sitel. It claims that "objective selection criteria" were used to determine which people (or, presumably, which teams) were fired. I cannot tell you how strongly contact tracers reject and resent that assertion
There was such an outpouring of anger and frustration today on the T&T chat rooms that I'm told any contributions from contact tracers were silenced. Only managers could talk. This is the only way contact tracers can communicate, so this was a serious step
Meanwhile in objective criteria news https://m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/test-and-trace-dodgy-statistics-impact-on-r_uk_601d7a82c5b66c385ef91a9f
