Asurion lays off hundreds of workers in global workforce reduction

Sandy Mazza | The Tennessean

Asurion, the phone insurance and tech support firm building a new $288 million corporate headquarters near downtown Nashville, laid off hundreds of employees Thursday.

The company said in a statement that 1.5% of its global workforce but "no frontline customer-service" positions were affected.

With about 19,000 employees worldwide, the cuts would amount to slightly fewer than 300 employees.

"This shift supports the company’s growing business and ensures we are positioned to capitalize on opportunities in the market. Impacted employees are being offered severance, continuation of health benefits and outplacement services," said Nicole Miller, an Asurion communications director based in Nashville.

Miller would not identify the number of job cuts at specific locations, including Nashville, but said they are spread across their global operations.

Asurion got grant for new HQ, promised to add 400 jobs in Nashville

Asurion was approved to receive a $4.4 million state grant last year to help with its expansion on the promise the company will create at least 400 new jobs over five years.

It's not clear how many Nashville-based workers lost their jobs, and Miller described the layoffs more as a restructuring rather than a shrinking of the company.

"We will continue to hire for positions and skills that support our focus areas," Miller said. "In fact, we’re still hiring now, and we encourage impacted employees to apply for open positions. We are still on track to hire 400 employees over the course of the next few years."

The company will consolidate its four existing Nashville offices at the new site when it opens in 2021 on 11th Avenue North at Grundy Street in the Gulch.

The new development, called the Gulch Hub, will also serve as Asurion’s global product and technology hub for innovation and development.

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