By Jobs under threat at pub chain’s Watford head office
Jobs at the J D Wetherspoon head office in Watford are under threat as the national pub chain looks to make cuts due to coronavirus.
A third of head office staff at the Wetherspoon premises in Reeds Crescent are facing redundancy, according to reports by the BBC.
Chief executive John Hutson said out of 417 workers at its headquarters in Watford “a possible 110 to 130 positions are at risk”.
He said the move was “mainly a result of a downturn in trade in the pub and restaurant industry” but that “no firm decisions” had been made.
The cuts would not directly affect staff in the firm’s 873 pubs, he added.
In a statement, Mr Hutson said: “The company has written to all 417 people employed at head office (including those regionally based) to inform them that a possible 110 to 130 positions are at risk of redundancy.
“All head office employees will be affected by the process, with the exception of those working directly in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
“The company will listen to suggestions from staff to help avoid or reduce the number of compulsory redundancies which are required.”
He said the decision was also due to “a reduction in the company’s rate of expansion”.
The first Wetherspoon pub opened in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1979. For the first month it was called Martin’s Free House, but was renamed Wetherspoons early in 1980 and the firm has gone on to become one of the most popular and well-known chains in the UK.
Most UK pubs were closed on March 20 and were allowed to reopen on July 4 as lockdown restrictions relating to drinking inside bars eased.
Other big names such as WH Smith, Pizza Express and Hays Travel have recently said they will cut staff.
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