Hundreds of jobs feared lost as telesales business closes down

A North Yorkshire-based telesales company has shut down suddenly this week, blaming issues caused by the pandemic and the struggling economy.

It is understood as many as 450 people may have lost their jobs after Harrogate telemarketing firm, Amvoc, ceased trading. The company also had offices in Leeds and Manchester.

An e-mail sent to staff from the business said administrators had been appointed with immediate effect.

Solicitors firm, Aticus Law, has told TheBusinessDesk.com that over 100 staff who worked at Amvoc are to take legal action over the way redundancies were managed.

Edward Judge, from Aticus law, said: “We have now been contacted by over 100 individuals who say that they have been affected by job losses following the recent collapse of Amvoc, and from what we understand they were told that they had lost their jobs through an e-mail which was issued late on Tuesday night.

“We are in the early stages of investigating those claims, and advising our clients on their options.”

He added his firm is investigating whether there are grounds to claim for a Protective Award – which is compensation awarded by an Employment Tribunal if an employer fails in its duties.

Amvoc first began operating in a small office in Dacre, in the Yorkshire Dales, in 2010.

Within 18 months it had outgrown its first home and began adding new facilities and staff. The business opened its head office in Harrogate in 2015 and before its closure employed 450 full time telemarketing professionals according to its website.

TheBusinessDesk.com contacted Amvoc for comment and received an automated message stating: “We are working with the administrators and they will be in touch in due course to explain next steps. At this stage, we don’t have any further information available to us but you will be updated when we do.

“This situation is heart breaking for all concerned and we are working to get everything organised as quickly as possible.”

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