Aviva to Cut 800 Jobs

Aviva is not a name you may know. After all unless you have a policy with them, and you still pay your insurance premiums manually you won’t see the name on a regular basis. For those of you who don’t currently do business with the company here is a look at how they have chosen to describe themselves, “After over 300 years of serving customers in the U.K., an acquisition enabled us to bring our insurance experience to the U.S. market. We could say we’re the 6th largest insurer worldwide or one of the leading providers of life insurance and annuities in the U.S., but that describes what we are—not who we are. Aviva is a company built around you. We have nearly a million customers in the U.S., but there is only one you. In a world of “me first” thinking, we put our customers at the center of everything we do. The proof is in the little things we do differently that bring humanity back to insurance.”

Apparently that humanity does not extend to its own employees. The company is getting ready to put 800 of its workers in the UK out of work in order to save on expenses. This could result in the closure of its Belfast office, though for the time being the company is not saying if this will be the case.

In a twist that would be ironic if it were not so sad, the company recently put  a release about how stressed people are about their finical issues. The report highlights how stress over money can have a negative impact on people’s health, “Americans are uncomfortable with their financial situation and don’t even like to talk about it. According to a survey by Aviva USA, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, most people do not feel comfortable with their financial situation, lack understanding of financial products, don’t feel prepared for retirement and rarely discuss finances….The survey revealed that two out of three men report feeling stressed, and their financial situation is the primary contributing factor. The survey also showed that two out of three American women are uncomfortable with their financial situation.” Apparently that knowledge has not prevented the company from causing more money woes for its own workers.

Of course Aviva is not the only insurance provider who has needed to make cuts. For those of you who missed out here is a look at how another insurance company is handling its layoffs, “The company put out a release about the job cuts.  In that release the company said the following about the job losses, “As part of its ongoing commitment to operate as efficiently as possible and moderate the long-term cost of healthcare in the state, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) has taken a number of actions over the last several years that are helping to moderate the cost of health insurance.  Like any responsible business, BCBSRI regularly evaluates the cost efficiency and effectiveness of the organization’s staffing structure and, as a result, has eliminated 43 positions throughout the company, effective immediately.  Sixty percent of the workforce reductions were management positions.’ “