Citigroup outlines layoff process, reassignments in overhaul -memo

By Lananh Nguyen, Tatiana Bautzer and Saeed Azhar

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Citigroup (NYSE:) has embarked on its biggest reorganization in decades, its managers are reviewing staff rosters to determine by November who will stay in place, be reassigned or laid off, according to a global memo to staff on Wednesday seen by Reuters.

“Some roles will change, new roles may be created, and new roles that do not fit our new structure will be eliminated,” Sara Wechter, the bank’s chief human resources officer, wrote in the memo. “This next layer of change is scheduled to be announced in November.”

Employees whose jobs are eliminated may be eligible to apply for other positions, and the company will offer severance pay and notice periods where eligible, according to the message. The contents of the memo have not previously been reported.

Citi declined to comment on the global memo.

Last month, Citi CEO Jane Fraser announced a sweeping reorganization to simplify the bank’s structure after divesting from non-core markets and focusing on profitable areas. Fraser’s memo to staff did not announce an expected number of job cuts but said the departures would enable staff who generate revenue and dealmakers to focus their time on clients.

“We’ll be saying goodbye to some very talented and hard-working colleagues,” Fraser wrote at the time.

Citi had 240,000 employees at the end of the second quarter. That compares with headcounts of about 216,000 at Bank of America and 234,000 at Wells Fargo, the second and fourth-largest U.S. lenders respectively.

Jane has increasingly toughened the message to staff. “We don’t have room for bystanders, we don’t have room for people who want to stand on the sidelines.”, Fraser said in a TV interview last week.

CONSULTATIONS IN THE UK

The bank said in a separate memo it is also beginning the specific consultation required in the UK. “We are updating colleagues on our next steps to align our structure with our strategy, and consulting with the London Consultation Forum about roles currently under review. Some of these roles may change, while others will remain largely the same.”

Citi hopes the reorganization will revive its share price, that has been lagging below half of book value for awhile, and will give the CEO more direct control over its businesses.

Reuters has reported that cuts will focus on support areas with overlapping teams such as compliance and risk management, and spare profit-making units.