Australian office supplies retail giant Officeworks is facing strong backlash from employees over plans to relocate hundreds of white-collar positions to India and the Philippines.
According to reports by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the company will gradually transfer technology and back-office support roles to India over the coming months, while replacing its existing Sydney-based customer service team with a call centre located in the Philippines.
Officeworks said the changes are aimed at building a “globally connected workforce,” leveraging international talent to improve efficiency and help control operating costs. The company stated that its overseas teams will serve as an extension of its Australian operations, supporting information technology, digital transformation, and the growing demand for artificial intelligence-related services.
However, many employees have questioned whether the company’s so-called globalisation strategy is in fact a move to replace Australian workers with lower-cost overseas labour. One insider revealed that some employees who had worked for the company for more than 20 years were informed of their redundancies through online meetings, leaving many staff disappointed and frustrated.
Officeworks has stressed that the majority of jobs in its retail stores and distribution centres will remain in Australia, and therefore the overall number of Australian employees is not necessarily expected to decline significantly.