Antonio Shabbir allegedly skipped a staff meeting after earning the ire of workers
A director at telecoms company Vodafone UK is getting heat from employees for dodging a staff meeting after posting an insensitive photo amid looming job cuts.
Antonio Shabbir, who leads customer operations, was supposed to speak with workers at Vodafone’s Glasgow office to announce the company’s plans to slash jobs and move several positions to Manchester.
However, Shabbir allegedly decided to skip the scheduled meeting and instead sent his deputy, which reportedly angered employees.
“He’s not even come up today,” a Vodafone employee told the Daily Mail. “He’s actually sent the lady below him who’s his deputy.”
‘Inconsiderate’ photo
Shabbir earlier earned the ire of staff after sharing a photo of himself on the company’s Workspace intranet wearing a ‘See You Jimmy’ tartan hat with a red wig while holding an Irn Bru bottle.
“Getting ready for this month’s ‘Audience with Antonio’ … some exciting news to share,” the caption on the photo read.
The post was immediately taken down from the internal communication system after spurring backlash, and the company has since apologised for the gaffe.
Employees called Shabbir’s action “inconsiderate” and “distasteful.”
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Proposals last month revealed redundancy plans and the relocation of 300 jobs down south. All affected workers were said to be given two months’ worth of back pay should they accept the move. However, staff reportedly had only 60 days to decide on the transfer or risk losing their jobs.
Vodafone’s plan purportedly did not sit well with employees, who were offered the same redundancy package regardless of whether they had been with the company for several years or only a few months.
The company also reportedly told staff that they would have to wait until July to find out their employment status.
“In work, everyone is so nervous,” another Vodafone employee said. “There’s a real anxiety about the place. People’s livelihood are at stake.”