Aviva Investors accidentally fires 1,300 employees

23 April 2012 8:40 am | By Chris Salih

Aviva Investors accidentally fired 1,300 people via email on Friday before being forced to retract the message.

The email, which was sent from the human resources department told 1,300 of Aviva’s global staff to surrender any company property as they left the building and reminded them that they were prevented from sharing any company secrets.

According to the Telegraph, staff received an apology a few mintues later.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Aviva spokesman Paul Lockstone says: “It was intended that this e-mail should have gone to one single person. Unfortunately, as a result of a clerical error, it was sent to all of the Aviva Investors staff worldwide. Most people recognsed immediately that the e-mail was a mistake.”

In January, Aviva Investors announced it was to cut 160 jobs worldwide in a bid to reduce its presence in the retail space, with its London-based European, emerging markets, global and SRI equity desks closing.

Last week, Aviva Investors announced chief executive Alain Dromer was leaving the company as part of a wider global restructure of the Aviva business.

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