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Staff at Wren Kitchens have been left without a wage amid the coronavirus pandemic after the firm laid off hundreds of workers across the country.

Wren Kitchens says it had anticipated a reduction in economic activity due to the spread of the virus and has "identified team members who were under-performing", taking "steps to reduce its headcount accordingly".

Some employees who still have a job have also claimed they are being offered £100 to stay in work and take on extra hours.

The UK's largest kitchen retailer is owned by East Yorkshire billionaire Malcolm Healey.

The decision to lay off staff at its showrooms and factories at this unprecedented time has left former workers worrying about how they can pay the bills and keep a roof over their heads.

The staff members were read what they say was specially crafted "Covid-19" script in which they were told after a "review of their performance" that the decision had been made to "terminate employment".

They were also sent a letter to confirm that their last day would be classed as Tuesday, March 24.

It comes after workers at the large warehouses in Barton and Howden got in touch with Hull Live to say they "fear for their lives" as they continue working amid the coronavirus lockdown.

The Government announced on Monday that people should not go to work unless it is essential. Click here to read every word of Boris Johnson's announcement.

The Government later said that businesses that have not been ordered to close can continue to operate but urged them to practice safe social distancing practices, including keeping people two metres apart. You can read the list of which businesses are allowed to operate here.

But staff at Wren Kitchens, the UK's largest kitchen retailer, claim they feel "absolutely terrified" and like "disposable assets" as they were told to go to work as normal.

Hull Live was contacted by dozens of workers from the firm's warehouses complaining about working conditions, with claims many are working in closer proximity than the government's two-metre order.

They also allege that hand sanitiser is not being provided to employees and that the canteen is still up and running.

But Wren Kitchens said it is "absolutely essential" to continue its operations and staff are following government guidelines.

Speaking to Hull Live, one former office worker that was laid off from the Barton site, says that the end of his contract came "without warning" and that he will now struggle to survive on sick pay alone.

He says the loss of his job has worsened his already struggling mental health and it has left him angry and upset.

"I'm one of which are receiving a letter with the same exact scripted details to end their contract," he said.

"I was already off sick prior to this all happening for two months and never really recovered financially, and now they have terminated my contract during a time where jobs will be much harder to get and a time of need.

"They told me to my face they would be terminating my contract with immediate effect but with no warning or anything - literally it all happened within five minutes, maybe less.

"It was regardless of any human decency, regardless of my evidence I’ve presented on my life or safety without any warning and with a global pandemic taking place in which they’re fully aware of.

"As soon as I left the workplace I go in contact with the union and Universal Credit and Citizen's Advice.

"Union has been flooded and can’t get back to me just yet.

"Universal Credit has a waiting list of around 100,000 people so I don’t know how I’ll get any support whilst trying to get another job.

"Citizen's Advice has told me because I worked for the company for one year and 11 months and not two years they don’t need to give me a reason and that there might not be a lot I can do.

"I’ve only just been back at work one month and honestly I have nothing to my name because I’ve been trying to catch up on things I haven’t been able to pay like bills and direct debits.

"I don’t feel safe financially and that’s the scary part, especially now because of the virus that’s currently taking over."

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Tom Saxon worked as a designer at the Scunthorpe store and lost his job alongside six others.

He said he is "disgusted" at being laid off and says that the way the company has acted is "appalling".

He claims he was "marched off the premises" after having to sign a form.

"Despite Wren Kitchens assuring all staff repeatedly for the past few weeks that the company is strong, they will look after us in any event of closure by the government, that they're a family business and do things the right way, on Monday, just hours before lockdown was announced, myself and hundreds of colleagues up and down the UK were fired due to what they said was, overstaffing due to the effect of Covid-19.

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"We were made to sign a prepared statement written for management by company lawyers, which outlined that the company couldn't afford to keep us in this time, but to contact them once Covid-19 had passed, to discuss re-employment.

"I was then marched off the the premises.

"The owners of the business are genuine billionaires and the company turnover exceeded £600m last year and has no debt to service.

"Is this how you would expect a family company with strong family values to behave? Even more so in a time of national crisis?"

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Mr Saxon says he is "angry" and "frustrated" at his job loss and called it "corporate greed at its very, very worst".

"I'm angry and frustrated and it seems that everything they have told me is a lie and they were just stringing me along," he said.

"I've been out there on the front line through this Covid-19 pandemic, meeting the public putting my health at risk daily, interacting with hundreds of people a week.

"Now I've been disposed of like something on their shoe. It's absolutely disgusting.

"I can't believe the company are trying to make it seem performance based as to why I was sacked, given I had a target of £0 and sold some kitchens.

"When I was sacked I was ranked 307th in the company versus the other 1,500 designers.

"The Healey family who own Wren are billionaires, who could have taken the government support on wages, and made up the shortfall in the meantime, but instead have put profits before people."

(Image: Rick Byrne)

Another woman says that her partner left his former job to start work at Wren Kitchens in Barton on Monday, March 23, but was told on the last day of his previous job on Friday, March 20, that the offer could be pulled.

Since then, he has been trying to contact the company with no response, and claims he has had his profile "wiped".

"My partner had a new job that was due to start on Monday. It was a great role with fantastic prospects," she said.

"Last Wednesday he was contacted by Wren to tell him what time to arrive on Monday morning and they said they was looking forward to him starting work with them.

"Flash forward to Friday - he was one hour away from leaving his role with his previous employer and he received a phone call from Wren to say that because of the coronavirus outbreak his job was on hold or potentially pulled altogether and that they couldn’t give any more information at this stage but would provide an update early next week.

"No update has arrived, despite my partner sending two emails chasing this up directly to Wrens HR department and to his manager.

"He logged onto his employee profile on the Wren website this morning and they have deleted all traces of his profile, including his signed and agreed contract and their letter of acceptance of his contract.

"He is now out of a job with no pay after leaving his previous employer to gain 'job security with Wren'.

"They haven’t even had the decency to contact him instead they have just deleted all traces of him".

Workers who are still employed at the factory have told Hull Live that they have been offered a "bribe" of an extra £100 per week to stay in work and take on extra hours.

Furthermore, staff have also told Hull Live that Wren Kitchens has offered to pay staff to leave good reviews on TrustPilot and Indeed. We put these allegations to Wren Kitchens but they did not respond.

What Wren Kitchens says

A Wren Kitchens spokesperson said: "In these unprecedented times, it is incumbent on all responsible employers to continually assess team numbers.

"Following the recent Government decision to close retail showrooms, a number of staff have had to be temporarily sent home and will be paid in accordance with the government’s furloughed employee scheme.

"Prior to that announcement, the company had already anticipated that there would be a reduction in economic activity due to the coronavirus and had identified team members who were underperforming and taken steps to reduce its headcount accordingly."