Over 145 ex employees at Harrogate business Amvoc to join legal action over way redundancies were managed

Based in Harrogate, and with offices in Leeds and Manchester, staff are saying that they were made aware of the job losses, which are effective immediately, over email late on Tuesday night.

Within hours of the news breaking, specialist employment law experts at Aticus Law say they had been contacted by over 145 people affected, including those based in Leeds and Manchester.

The firm says it is now in the early stages of investigating the circumstances of the company’s collapse and concerns around how the redundancy process was managed, as well as whether ex-employees are eligible to claim for a Protective Award claim against the company.

Aticus says that if their clients are able to pursue a claim and are successful, those involved in the legal challenge will receive up to eight weeks’ worth of pay in compensation, with a cap of £571 per week.

Commenting on the news and the potential legal action, Aticus Law said that while historically it would have taken several weeks for ex-employees to start legal action, increased awareness around workers’ rights means more people are better placed to reach out for help quickly.

Edward Judge, from Aticus Law, said: “We have now been contacted by over 145 individuals who say that they have been affected by job losses following the recent collapse of Amvoc, and from what we understand they were told that they had lost their jobs through an email which was issued late on Tuesday night.

“We are in the early stages of investigating those claims, and advising our clients on their options.

“Sadly, the headlines are currently dominated by businesses in a number of different sectors that are struggling make a profit, and that of course has a significant impact on employees when the only option is to cease trading.

“However, as has been highlighted time and time again, despite these companies being fully aware of their legal obligation to enter into fair consultation over redundancies, that process seems to be bypassed entirely on a regular basis.

“Instead, staff are told that they have lost their jobs with immediate effect.

“As is always the case with protective award claims, the individuals who have reached out to us for advice regarding their rights are understandably very anxious and concerned about what the future has in store for them.”

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Edward went on to explain that the firm is now investigating whether there are grounds to claim for a Protective Award, that is, compensation awarded by an Employment Tribunal if an employer fails in its duties.

He added: “Historically people were under the impression that when a business has collapsed there is nothing that can be done, however, this issue keeps hitting the headlines and, as a result, employees are far more familiar with their rights and their ability to hold the company accountable.

“That means that when a company doesn’t act in the way that it should, they are far more likely to reach out for legal advice.

“In this instance we have already been contacted by over 145 ex-Amvoc employees and are now in the early stages of investigating a Protective Award claim.

"Given the considerable number of people who were likely to be affected by the news of the company’s collapse, we expect that number to go up over the coming days and weeks.”

“The Protective Award is a vital safety net for so many families in fast-paced redundancy situations that often leave them with no source of income and absolutely no notice.

“However, many people don’t realise that you can only get a Protective Award payment if you are included as part of the claim and are listed as part of the Schedule of Claimants attached to the Tribunal Judgment.

“We can’t stress this enough – you can’t simply watch from the side-lines while ex-colleagues take the legal challenge forward.

"It’s important to make sure your name and specific job title is included.”

Amvoc was founded in 2010 by one of the former owners of a Global Virgin Brand.

Initially starting from a very small office in Dacre, in the Yorkshire Dales, the company began telemarketing in the legal sector.

Its website states how within 18 months it “had outgrown our first home and began adding new facilities and experienced staff growing from just eight telesales staff to 450 full time telemarketing professionals working on a range of prestigious accounts.”

Its new Harrogate head office was opened in 2015, where 80 staff are employed.

A new state of the art facility was opened in Leeds in 2018, accommodating 120 staff, which was then further extended in 2020 to take the Leeds operation to 250.

Amvoc have been approached for comment but have not yet replied to the Harrogate Advertiser.

Harrogate business informs staff of immediate closure with the loss of 450 jobs