- Charter is laying off call center employees in California, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas
- Layoffs are expected to take effect in August
- Impacted employees may transfer with relocation benefits to other Spectrum call centers, said a Charter rep
Charter is laying off employees in multiple call centers across the country.
The company recently disclosed plans to cut 452 jobs in Ontario, California, 330 in Rochester, Minnesota, 230 positions in Austin, Texas as well as 175 jobs in Columbus, Ohio, according to local news outlets.
All the layoffs impact customer service center jobs and are expected to take effect August 15. As of the end of 2023, Charter employed approximately 101,100 full-time employees. The combined layoffs impact roughly 1.2% of the company’s workforce.
A Charter spokesperson told Fierce Network call center operations in these locations “will be transitioned to other in-house U.S.-based centers that will offer employees more resources and opportunities in addition to allowing us to deliver information, training and technology to our representatives more efficiently.”
Employees at the impacted call centers may “transfer with relocation benefits to other Spectrum customer service centers and are encouraged to apply for any open position within the company for which they are qualified.”
The spokesperson added, “employees who do not have a role with the company once the center closes will be entitled to comprehensive severance benefits.”
Charter’s broadband base has been on a downward trend. The operator shed 72,000 broadband customers in Q1, attributing the drop to the usual suspects – a low move environment and competition from wireline overbuilders (i.e., fiber providers).
On the wireless front, the forecast looks a bit brighter for Charter. It added in Q1 486,000 lines for its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service. But that number was still lower than mobile adds in Q1 2023.
Charter’s not the only cable company laying off employees. Regional operator Cable One disclosed plans last week to lay off 4% of its workforce as it reorganizes its customer service team.
Also, Comcast at the end of 2023 laid off an undisclosed number of technical employees.