Verizon vacating 191,000 square foot call center in Franklin next month

Elaina Sauber | The Tennessean

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Verizon is vacating its call center in Franklin at the end of June.

The company filed an official WARN notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development on May 15, notifying the agency of a permanent layoff effective June 29 that affects 265 employees.

But a spokeswoman for Verizon says that's not the number of people who will lose their jobs.

The number "represents the number of employees who received the notice; this does not necessarily equate to the number of people who are leaving the business," said Verizon spokesperson Kate Jay.

The company first announced it would vacate the Franklin call center, at 455 Duke Drive, on Feb. 21.

Some employees to work from home

Verizon is working to bolster its "home-based agent role" (HBA) program. Employees in the program work from home instead of from a call center, according to Jay.

"The reason for this decision is to build on the success of our HBA program and provide a more flexible and agile work environment for our employees while meeting the changing demands of customers," Jay said in a statement.

Some employees from the call center were offered options to work from home for the company, or to relocate to one of Verizon's remaining call centers in Wilmington, N.C., or Hilliard, Ohio. Employees also had the option to apply for other Verizon positions or accept separation benefits, Jay said.

Verizon doesn't yet have an exact number of employees who chose to work from home, accept another position or leave the company because employees have until the last day to decide, Jay said.

"We are required by the state to send the WARN notices to every employee at that location, regardless of their decision to stay with or leave the company," she said. "Our employees were aware that these would be issued."

Employees are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement.

"It's always disappointing when a company in your community is downsized, because it's affecting people who live and work in your community," said Matt Largen, CEO of Williamson Inc., the county's chamber of commerce.

"Our office reached out to Verizon and asked if we can help place some of their employees at other call centers in Williamson County and the Nashville region. Our first priority is taking care of those employees that have been affected by these layoffs," Largen said.

Call center received tax abatements

Verizon moved into the $54 million facility in September 2008, according to the company's news archives.

The 191,142-square-foot facility was built to accommodate more than 1,300 people.

When it opened, the Industrial Development Board (IDB) of Williamson County gave Verizon a five-year tax abatement through local property tax deductions, known as PILOTs.

From 2011 to 2013, $547,859 was abated from Verizon's annual property taxes at its Franklin facility, according to county IDB records.

As part of the abatement, Verizon promised it would hire 500 employees.

The agreement expired in 2013.

Reach Elaina Sauber at esauber@tennessean.com, 615-571-1172 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.