Back office roles cut as contractor pledges to 鈥榬etain frontline capability鈥

Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty has already cut up to 400 back office jobs as part of its cost-cutting drive that began at the start of the year, chief executive Leo Quinn has said.

Quinn told analysts in the firm鈥檚 half-year results presentation yesterday that 鈥渢hree to four hundred鈥 jobs had been cut so far and back office department budgets had been 鈥渉alved鈥.

The cuts are focussed on Balfour鈥檚 back office functions - including finance, IT and legal - and 鈥渟tripping out layers of senior management鈥, Quinn said, stressing the firm was 鈥渇ocussed on retaining frontline capability鈥.

Under Balfour鈥檚 鈥楤uild to Last鈥 turnaround programme, the firm is aiming to cut 拢100m of cost out of the business by the end of next year. .

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On the analysts鈥 call yesterday, Quinn also revealed the firm was considering scaling back its rail work, saying: 鈥淲e need to find a way we can make a return there, or we won鈥檛 operate in those markets.鈥

Commenting on Network Rail - - Quinn said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 very very challenging as an organisation, very difficult to work with, very difficult to make a return.

鈥淸We鈥檝e been] looking at withdrawing from contracts we were making losses on. There鈥檚 no point in being a busy fool.鈥

In the power sector, he said Balfour would look to 鈥渞enegotiate some of our contracts鈥 to get better deals.

He also said the firm is setting up more 鈥渟trategic partnerships鈥 with suppliers to ensure 鈥渨e鈥檙e reserving capacity for the future, rather than looking at short term gains.鈥

Quinn also advised that he did not expect the government鈥檚 planned introduction of a living wage to impact the business, .

Quinn said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 see that having an impact. It鈥檚 not something we鈥檙e looking at. But if that changes we鈥檒l let you know.鈥

Commeting further on 鈥楤uild to Last鈥, Quinn said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e been around for 100 odd years. It鈥檚 my intention that we鈥檒l be around for another 100. So we鈥檙e putting in the right foundations and building on it.鈥