Taylor Wessing redundancies: atrocious press statement of the week

Taylor Wessing has admitted that it is embarking on a redundancy programme, although you'd never guess from its press statement.

The firm is putting all 96 of its secretaries at risk of redundancy, with a view to getting rid of 26 of them. But Managing Partner Tim Eyles gave this response when asked for a comment:

"The realisation of our strategy is dependent on us ensuring that all areas of our business are structured with a view to providing the best and most efficient service possible to our clients. The redesign of our secretarial support is driven by that focus."

So, does that mean:
(a) The firm is outsourcing its secretarial function to Mumbai?
(b) The firm is embarking on a recruitment drive for more secretaries as a result of a recent increase in workflow?
(c) The firm has put all 96 of its secretaries on notice with the aim of dumping 26 of them?

RollOnFriday psychics say that it's probably (c).

Taylor Wessing yesterday

Taylor Wessing is not the first firm to suffer from this affliction. Here was how Neville Eisenberg of BLP announced the potential loss of well over a hundred staff a few weeks ago:

"We have been in a period of integration and consolidation after a number of years of high growth and investment. The decision to review a number of roles across our London office is part of a general review of our business to ensure that we are well positioned for the future."

HAL would be proud.

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Comments

You'd no doubt be as slating if they were to simply say. We have too many people in order to maintain profits and therefore need to make 26 redundant?

"The realisation of our strategy is dependent on us ensuring"...

Should that not be "our ensuring"? "Us ensuring" sounds wrong.

So the firm is essentially lying when saying that its “redesign” of secretarial support will help provide the “best and most efficient service possible” to clients. Laying off 26 secretaries is hardly likely to improve efficiency of service in the short term, in fact quite the opposite is likely. Why not just be honest and say: “in response to market conditions and improving technology, we are restructuring our secretarial support” and leave it at that? Or, why issue a statement at all?? Clients aren't thick - they'll see through the bullshit statement issued.