Outsourced call centre support ended
by Bernard Harbor
 
Departmental staff and others temporarily reassigned from other public service bodies are now continuing to deliver the lion’s share of the department’s phone bank functions.
Departmental staff and others temporarily reassigned from other public service bodies are now continuing to deliver the lion’s share of the department’s phone bank functions.

The contract for external centre call support to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) elapsed this week, and it has not been extended.

 

Fórsa had insisted that the arrangement, put in place to deal with queries from people who unsuccessfully claimed Covid-19 unemployment benefits, should not remain in place beyond an emergency period – and certainly no more than the four weeks indicated to the union.

 

Last month, the department confirmed to Fórsa that the use of an external company was a one-off, short-term emergency measure.

 

Departmental staff and others temporarily reassigned from other public service bodies are now continuing to deliver the lion’s share of the department’s phone bank functions.

 

The union had also sought clarification from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) on Wednesday. DEPR confirmed that there was no intention to retain outsourced phone support beyond the short term.

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