Half of PwC Australia EAs to be Manila-based
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Big four firm PwC is set to shift 58 per cent of its Australia-based executive assistants to Manila, and lay off about 48 of these roles locally, in a move it says will facilitate sustainable performance and growth.
The PwC Acceleration Centre in Manila will be the home to about 58 per cent of PwC Australia’s executive assistants (EAs), up from 38 per cent, after a review of its 2019 offshoring and onshoring EA plan, with changes to roll out throughout June, the firm told Accounting Times.
The firm confirmed that around 48 Australian EA roles will be impacted during this transition. “Following a recent review of our EA model, the firm will transition an additional number of EA roles to our existing PwC Acceleration Centre in Manila,” the firm said in a statement.
The 2019 plan commenced around the time of the firm’s establishment of its Acceleration Centre, which, as part of the PwC network, is 27 per cent owned by PwC Australia.
According to its website, PwC has Acceleration Centres located in Buenos Aires, India, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Mexico. These centres are tech-enabled hubs to support client teams virtually, the website added.
Currently, about 140 PwC Australia partners and managing directors are supported by these Manila-based EAs.
In its statement, PwC Australia said: “For the firm to deliver sustainable performance and growth, PwC regularly reviews its operations.”
The firm added that Australian EAs impacted by these layoffs will be offered redeployment opportunities, providing career transition services, access to reskilling courses, and dedicated wellbeing support throughout this transition.
It confirmed that PwC Australia will continue to have onshore roles.
This news follows KPMG’s announcement that it would offshore 260 EA roles to the Philippines for growth and competitiveness, with 100 roles impacted in April and a further 100 projected to be impacted in May or June.
RELATED TERMS
Offshoring is the practice of hiring labour from other nations to carry out a portion of corporate activities to benefit from tax savings, lower wages, or less regulation. This happens frequently in businesses like call centres and manufacturing.
Carlos Tse
Carlos Tse is a graduate journalist writing for Accountants Daily, HR Leader, Lawyers Weekly.
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