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Hundreds of Kingston call centre employees forced to work from home: employee

Startek, which operates a call centre in Kingston, has handed out severance letters to 200 of its local employees. Global News

Hundreds of Startek call centre employees in Kingston, Ont., may be permanently without an office after Oct. 30, according to a letter obtained by Global News.

The alleged letter sent to Startek employees on Oct. 9 reads, in part, “as part of our transition to work-at-home, we will be moving to a virtual office for Kingston and no longer have a brick and mortar facility at this time.”

The letter goes on to say, “therefore, effective October 30th, 2020, all employees who currently work at our Kingston office will transition to working from home.”

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According to one employee, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal from the company, staff are asked to sign and return an agreement to the terms of working from home, which includes submitting three photos of the home workspace to management and that they have a distraction-free workspace.

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The alleged letter appears to be signed by Margo DeGray, director of account operations.

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DeGray has not responded to requests for further clarification.

As of Monday evening, all attempts to reach the company have been unsuccessful. Phone numbers for the 100 Innovation Drive site in Kingston seem to have been disconnected, and requests for information made to Startek’s headquarters in Colorado have also gone unanswered.

The employee says Startek will provide equipment and help find appropriate internet providers for those who do not have access to high-speed internet.

The letter, which Startek has yet to corroborate, says staff have until Oct. 30 to sign the agreement.

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