Job cuts policy results in number of workers rising

Despite continued declarations from the state government and national power utility HEP Group, about how the company needs restructuring and downsizing, including lowering median worker’s age, last year’s official report showed the number of employees rose by 129 compared to 2013, Croatian Novi list newspaper’s portal said. Also, even though there is a generous severance pay offered to those who accept to retire early, the number of workers close to retirement age has actually risen!

In 2012 and 2013 about 1,600 people left HEP under agreement including a payout, so at the end of 2013 the number of employees was cut to 10,887. However, last year it rose by 129 and the most enlarged category is senior workers, the report said. Severance pay is equivalent to 70 percent of average pay throughout one’s career. Simultaneously, HEP Group is hiring trainees, but also experienced workers, depending on particular subsidiary’s needs and independently of age and sex of the expert in question, said the company’s statement to Novi list.

HEP explains inconsistencies with the fact that each year some of the younger workers enter an older category. The management had announced serious restructuring last year but so far there weren’t any big job cuts. Analyses were made and it was concluded that this year 700 workers should leave with severance pay, while 300 young experts need to be hired. The newspaper said it is a well known yet unofficial fact that HEP has about 2,000 people working for fees at each given moment, as the group doesn’t have enough of its own operatives and maintenance staff.