G4S loses £50m over Olympics fiasco

-

The Chief Executive of G4S Group, which made unwelcome headlines last month when it failed to recruit enough security staff to cover the Olympics, has revealed today that the error has cost the company £50m, which could increase when fines and the cost of military cover are finalised.

Nick Buckles said:

“We were deeply disappointed that we had significant issues with the London 2012 Olympics contract and are very grateful to the military and the police for their support in helping us to deliver a safe and secure Games.”

The Group was found to be in breach of its £284m contract after not recruiting and training enough staff to guard the Olympics, forcing the Government to draft in 18,000 troops from the military.

Get our essential weekday HR news and updates.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Keep up with the latest in HR...
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Optin_date
This field is hidden when viewing the form

 

In its half-year report, G4S also revealed that it has cut 1,100 jobs so far this year in a bid to protect growing margins.

The company is currently investigating the failure, which should be completed by the end of September, but Mr Buckles refused to elaborate on what went wrong while the investigation is ongoing.

G4S will still be providing the security contract for the Paralympics, which start on Wednesday, but Buckles has maintained the company won’t bid for the tender at the Rio Olympics in four years’ time because “the profit upside is not as great as the reputational downside if things go wrong”.

Buckles added:

“We are confident that we have an assured security workforce for the Paralympic Games and do not anticipate any workforce shortfall issues to arise.”

Pamela Flores is an events professional with experience at Symposium Events, a UK-based conference and events organization. She has worked in editorial and event coordination roles within the HR and expatriate management sector, contributing to the organization of major conferences including the Expatriate Management and Global Mobility conference. Her background spans online editorial work and events management within the professional conference industry.

Latest news

Russell Cowley: Gen Z – rebuilding workplace culture, break by break

Gen Z workers are taking proper breaks and in doing so, they may be fixing something the rest of us broke.

England’s overnight World Cup clash and 5am pub opening prompt CIPD advice

The CIPD is urging organisations to agree any flexibility before England's 1am World Cup last-16 tie to help minimise disruption at the start of the working week.

Fit for Work: Weekend warrior? You can still reap the health benefits

Weekend exercise can still improve long-term health, even for people who struggle to fit physical activity into the working week.

Superdry co-founder’s victim warns workplace power can silence abuse victims

A survivor's account raises questions about speaking-up cultures and accountability in organisations.
- Advertisement -

UK’s always-on work culture ‘driving employee burnout’

Nearly half of UK workers say they end most working days mentally exhausted as rising workplace pressure leaves employees and managers struggling to switch off.

Andrew Murray on why no two days look alike

A people development leader shares how travel, training and a passion for helping others shape a working day with little room for routine.

Must read

Nestlé UK Walks its Way to a Healthier Future

Nestlé UK has always had a well developed Occupational Health and Safety program. However, in line with a business transition from a Food and Beverage manufacturer to a focused Health, Nutrition and Wellness business, over the last 12 months, Nestlé have transitioned OH towards a more integrated “employee wellness” scheme that impacts ALL of its 6,000 employees in the UK. Dr David Batman explains more.

Fiona Hamor: What will a Labour government bring to UK workforces?

"While Labour’s manifesto was light on the detail, it did give us an indication of where possible reforms may come and where Reynolds will set his sights early on in his tenure."
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you