About 130 jobs are at risk in plans by Lidl to centralise human resources from its regional warehouses to its head office.
The discounter is creating 100 new HR jobs in its head office in Tolworth, south west London, and has begun a 90-day consultation with 130 HR staff in regional distribution centres.
“As a fast-growing business with strong momentum, we’ve undertaken a strategic review of our operations to ensure we’re built on the right foundations to support our ambitious expansion plans now and in the future,” said a Lidl spokesperson.
“We are proposing to bring some of our regional HR departments together into one centralised location at Lidl House. This means some HR roles based at our RDCs may be affected.
“These proposals are designed to improve the efficiency of our operations, and strengthen our business model. The proposals are about simplifying how we work and enhancing support for colleagues as we continue to grow.
“We know this will be an unsettling time for some, and we are committed to supporting affected colleagues, including exploring alternative roles wherever possible.”
It is understood some HR roles will remain at RDCs.
Impacted staff were told on Friday, with some taking to LinkedIn at the weekend to comment.
“We want to assure our store managers that we’re committed to supporting you during this transition,” wrote Lidl recruitment co-ordinator Rachel Heslop, based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
“Our team will continue to work hard on your requisitions to get the best talent in place before we leave.
“While we can’t predict what recruitment will look like in the future, we do know that it won’t be the same personalised service that you’re used to.”
Amanda Ward, a regional recruitment co-ordinator based in Doncaster, wrote: “After a very unexpected announcement on Friday, the entire HR & recruitment teams at Lidl, including my role, has entered the 90-day consultation period for redundancy.”
Lidl has also been moving to cut jobs in its head office this year. In July it began a consultation with about 70 head office staff spread across all departments, in moves that were also described as part of a strategic review to support growth.
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