Express & Star

Former workers at Egg claim that they are owed hundreds of pounds in expenses.

Bernie Shakespeare and Sarah Owen, who are both aged 23 and worked at the Brierley Hill branch before being made redundant, say they are each owed £400.

The former customer service advisers say about 10 staff made redundant on April 4 are still waiting for the company to pay expenses owed since March. Miss Shakespeare, of Gospel End Road, Sedgley, said staff were invited to go to London and train people as advisers for a new centre which was opening.

She says it stated in their contract with the banking firm that they would receive £30 for food, £5 for each night they were away and 40p per mile in petrol.

But she said no money has yet been forthcoming from the company - leaving people with a financial headache.

“In total, I am owed about £400 and this is the equivalent of a mortgage payment for me,” said Miss Shakespeare.

“I have a written a letter to the company asking what is going on and made numerous phone calls, and I am getting nowhere.

“If I had known I wouldn’t be paid for my expenses, I would never have gone to London.

“I went because it was an opportunity to gain experience and help train other people.

“I think the way the company has treated us is disgraceful.”

Egg spokesman Adrian Russell said today that the expenses would be paid.

“Expenses will be paid in line with our normal policy; it is just taking longer to process than expected,” he said.

“We are sorry, and we are sorting it out as fast as we can.

“There is no question expenses which fall within the normal policy will be paid.”

Mr Russell also confirmed that 100 Egg employees from the company’s financial crimes unit would remain at the Brierley Hill building permanently and the part of the site in which they are working had been refurbished.

It has not yet been decided what to do with the rest of the building, he added.