Convergys to close call centre in Nova Scotia

CORNWALLIS, N.S. – Less than two weeks before Christmas, about 300 people received news that no worker wants to hear.

Convergys Corp. announced Wednesday that it will hang up on its Cornwallis, N.S., call centre in March.

"It’s a very large blow," said Annapolis County Warden Reg Ritchie.

Employees got the bad news Tuesday and the Ohio-based company later issued a news release confirming details of the closure.

"Convergys will transition work currently performed in Cornwallis to other Convergys sites that currently service this customer service program," company spokeswoman Amy Williams said in the release.

"The transition will enable Convergys to better serve its clients by increasing efficiencies and reducing costs."

The release said affected employees might be able to continue to work from home if they meet the performance and home environment requirements. And some workers may be able to transfer to other Convergys locations in Nova Scotia where there are employment opportunities.

Convergys, which once had four call centres in Nova Scotia, continues to operate in New Glasgow and Dartmouth.

Call centre workers could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Convergys opened its Cornwallis operation to much fanfare in April 2004 with about 100 employees and a multimillion-dollar payroll rebate from Nova Scotia Business Inc.

The business continued to grow and once hoped to boost its roster to about 600 workers at that location.

Earlier this year the provincial government announced a review of its entire payroll rebate program after Convergys announced it was closing its Truro-Millbrook call centre. That centre’s six-year payroll rebate deal had just ended and the closure put about 200 people out of work.

Convergys received payroll rebate incentives for all its locations, worth up to $20 million. By June, when the province announced the payroll rebate review, Convergys had received $15 million in rebates.

Last week another Nova Scotia call centre, run by TeleTech Holdings Inc. in Amherst, closed, putting 215 people out of work.

Ritchie, who has been on council for about 20 years, said the municipality will work with the provincial government and government agencies to try to replace the jobs that will be lost in March.

"This is probably one of the sadder times," he said. "But we’re resilient. We’ll try and overcome this somehow or another."