Charlton Morris: Leeds recruitment firm that switched to 4-day week and had ‘The Ivy-style’ offices enters liquidation

At that meeting, held via a conference call, it was agreed that ‘the company be wound up voluntarily and that Louise Longley and Julian Pitts, of Begbies Traynor be appointed joint liquidators of the company for the purpose of the voluntary winding-up.

The company, which recruited staff for the medical, life science and industrial sectors, employed 124 people in the year to August 31, 2022 according to its most recent accounts filed at Companies House.

It had three divisions: CM Medical, CM Life Science and CM Industrial and offices in Leeds, Manchester, London and Peterborough.

In 2021 it said it had placed candidates in more than 60 countries on six continents with 80 per cent of its work outside the UK.

It was the first company to sign up to offices at 34 Boar Lane, in February 2020, shortly before the first UK covid-19 lockdown, following a £6.5m refurbishment of the building.

The company, which had a £9.2m turnover at the time, initially took the 9,850 sq ft third floor of the building, which is located close to Leeds Station, after relocating from its 3,846 sq ft offices on Park Row.

The rent for the office space was £32 per sq ft on a 10-year lease.

The firm went on to take an additional floor as the company expanded.

Offices at 34 Boar Lane provide single desks for entrepreneurs, studios for small teams and full floors for large global companies.

The Yorkshire Post has previously been told that the company had "invested heavily" into creating a "motivational"-style office space with a substantial theatre area with tiered stairs. Their breakout area was compared to The Ivy "in terms of the style and facilities it offered".

In 2021, the company introduced a four-day week for all its employees.

After a six-month trial to understand the effects of the shorter week, where employees retain consistent hours and pay, the Leeds-based firm was one of the first in the UK recruitment sector to implement the change for all current and future employees.

Rebecca Cook, head of people at Charlton Morris, said at the time: “The past 18 months has given us time to reflect on how we can become the company we want to be.”

She added: "Alongside our newly refreshed vision ‘to change the way the world sees recruitment, through offering our people and our customers the best possible experience,’ we are adjusting our focus to what keeps our people motivated. By encouraging a healthy work/life balance with the security of the same career opportunities.”

In a YouTube video made by the company following the move to a four-day week, one employee said: “Our success rate in terms of placements is 26 per cent greater than it was before the four-day week.”

The Yorkshire Post made several attempts to contact Charlton Morris for comment without success. Begbies Traynor liquidators were also approached but declined to comment.