Technology

Submit Workplace scandal provider Fujitsu to chop practically 10% of UK workforce


Fujitsu has introduced a voluntary redundancy scheme and plans to chop its UK workforce by practically 10%.

Obligatory redundancies “may have” to be launched if its voluntary redundancies fall in need of its goal, the troubled provider instructed workers.

Fujitsu’s UK enterprise has been in turmoil since its position within the Submit Workplace scandal turned mainstream information. It has since misplaced important enterprise within the public sector, the place it has been historically sturdy, as the federal government, below stress, makes an attempt to distance itself from the provider.

A supply instructed Pc Weekly that Fujitsu will not be solely dropping enterprise the place it’s the incumbent provider, but in addition on bids for work it anticipated to win, together with within the personal sector.

A message from UK head Anwen Owen mentioned: “I recognise that this can be unsettling. We’re taking this step in the beginning of our transformation journey in order that we are able to proceed to spend money on the areas of our enterprise that our clients want most, to construct a less complicated, extra reliant firm, and to be greatest positioned for long-term power.”

Based on the communications despatched to workers, Fujitsu has a goal to scale back by 425 roles in what it describes because the “voluntary exit scheme”.

It can impression workers throughout the enterprise, with UK supply seeing the most important hit, with 270 roles set to be made defunct.

The Japanese IT big will cut back workers in its UK enabling capabilities by 75, and gross sales enablement will see 20 roles disappear. Its private and non-private sector companies are additionally searching for cuts.

Fujitsu had not responded to a request for remark when this text was revealed.

In January, Pc Weekly reported that the corporate requested its chief working officer to chop prices by 10%, which might put jobs in danger.

In 2024, after ITV’s dramatisation of the Submit Workplace scandal, Fujitsu set a self-imposed ban on bidding for brand spanking new public sector work till the scandal’s public inquiry was accomplished. The inquiry’s essential report will not be anticipated till later this 12 months, with no date set.

Contract loss

The latest lack of the £245m HMRC Dealer Help Service (TSS) contract affected as much as 100 Fujitsu employees, in keeping with one supply, with TUPE transfers to its alternative provider, Netcompany, and cuts anticipated.

In the meantime, Fujitsu is being closely criticised by MPs as a result of it has not but dedicated to the quantity it’ll contribute in the direction of the prices of the scandal, which has price taxpayers billions of kilos.

Throughout a Enterprise and Commerce Choose Committee listening to, chair Liam Byrne described Fujitsu as a “parasite” on the UK authorities

In October 2025, campaigning peer James Arbuthnot demanded Fujitsu pay £700m within the interim. “Fujitsu has brought on nice hurt to 1000’s of individuals and will pay a large amount to compensate for this,” he mentioned.

“It’s true that others have been additionally responsible – Submit Workplace managers, the authorized system, accountants and the federal government,” mentioned Arbuthnot. “However the Horizon system was Fujitsu’s, and it was Fujitsu which was altering the subpostmasters’ accounts behind everybody’s backs and saying that it was not doing so. Fujitsu then colluded with the Submit Workplace in securing miscarriages of justice.”

The Submit Workplace scandal was first uncovered by Pc Weekly in 2009, revealing the tales of seven subpostmasters and the issues they suffered resulting from Fujitsu’s Horizon accounting software program.