PwC requests departing staff to maintain confidentiality during UK job cuts programme

PwC Launches “Silent Lay-Offs” in the UK Amid Voluntary Severance Programme

In a surprising move, PwC has initiated a round of “silent lay-offs” in the UK, with affected staff instructed not to disclose the reasons for their departure to colleagues. The Big Four accountancy firm has rolled out a voluntary severance programme across multiple UK offices in recent weeks, without making any official internal announcements about the decision.

Employees who have been offered a severance package have been individually notified and provided with a script by HR to use if they choose to send farewell messages to their colleagues. The script emphasizes the importance of not mentioning the voluntary severance offer or the circumstances of their departure, and must not be negative towards PwC or its employees/partners.

While PwC has not disclosed the exact number of roles being targeted by the voluntary severance programme, sources familiar with the matter have described it as a “significant round.” The programme is reportedly focusing on the firm’s consulting, risk, operational, and managed service divisions in London and Belfast.

This latest development follows PwC’s previous job cuts of around 600 roles at the end of last year, prompted by a decrease in staff turnover. The firm stated that the voluntary severance programme allows them to adjust their business structure in response to changing client demands and new opportunities.

Industry analysts have noted that all of the Big Four firms in the UK, including Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC, have been reducing their workforce in response to challenging economic conditions. PwC’s UK partners saw a decrease in average pay in the last fiscal year, and the current restructuring comes just ahead of a leadership transition within the firm.