Dylan Bettencourt
Wimbledon workers have claimed that they are being “sacked on the spot” after minor transgressions.
Staff at the tennis Grand Slam said they are being fired for taking breaks to watch the action, going to the toilet without asking permission, and having strawberries on the famous Henman Hill.
Turnout at Wimbledon has shown to be lower than expected. In fact, attendance thus far has been its lowest in 15 years.
“For this reason the All England Club has asked that we look at reducing our day staff. It may become necessary to cut staff,” said an email sent by a Wimbledon contractor to housekeeping staff, according to The Times.
The first four days only saw 153,193 people attend Wimbledon, the lowest turnout since 2007.
“Since the email, they’ve been very harsh to people and not really giving them any warnings. They’re getting kicked out for relatively minor things,” a housekeeping worker said.
The worker said they’re on edge because when they sit down for a moment they’re looking around hoping no one is watching.
“This is when we’ve done our jobs and there’s nothing to do. We can’t just be on our feet all day,” said the worker.
Temporary staff members claimed similar treatment, adding that they were told not to drink in their uniforms.
The workers only hired for the tournament said they were being fired “left, right and centre” due to the Grand Slam being overstaffed for the low attendance figures.
A cleaning staff member said they had seen workers get fired for going to the bathroom or just taking a short break.
Despite several workers claiming they were being fired or no longer being assigned shifts, the All England Club said contractors have not been asked to cut staff.
“We value all of the staff who help us deliver the Championships. They are crucial to staging this world-class event,” an All England Club spokesperson said.
“We meet annually with each of our major contractors to agree to the terms and conditions of employment which are shared with potential employees.”
Image source: @Reuters
