Andersen lay-offs leave UK PR staff jobs in jeopardy

In a massive redundancy programme, as many as 1,500 of the firm's 5,000 UK staff are to be laid off.

The cuts are a result of the global downturn, and the effects of the Enron scandal and consequent loss of business.

An Andersen spokesperson said this week that redundancies would principally focus on those employees who work with other parts of the firm's global network, specifically computer technicians and PR staff.

With further cuts possible when the firm's auditing staff join Deloitte & Touche later this year, UK head of PR Paul Clark admitted that his eight-strong team 'just don't know' whether or not they will be hit.

Clark said earlier reported comments on the dire prospects for the firm's UK PROs had been 'misconstrued', and there was no definite decision on where staff would be lost until after an ongoing 90-day consultation period.