Firm fires all staff on the spot

ALL staff members from a Gold Coast company were called into a boardroom meeting at lunchtime on Thursday. By the time they left the room, they were all unemployed.

All 15 were terminated on the spot after the company, Pivotal Homes, became the latest casualty in Australia’s struggling construction sector.

The managing director, Michael Irwin, publicly announced just hours later that the organisation had gone into liquidation, citing rising labour and construction costs as the reason it was impossible to carry on.

Staff had no warning that the business was doing badly, nor were they given any notice that they should start looking for jobs.

Tom Egan, head sales manager for Pivotal Homes, said he and a dozen or so other staff members were “devastated”.

“No one knew,” Mr Egan said.

“At 1.30pm everyone was called to the boardroom. The liquidator advised that we were terminated. It’s devastating for everybody, you had staff there (who had been working for) up to 10 years.”

Mr Egan said he only reported to the managing director, Mr Irwin, and otherwise oversaw all operations, and saw no signs that the company was on its last legs.

Mr Egan emphasised that nobody knew it was coming, explaining: “All bills were paid, nothing was ever unpaid, there was no warning sign.”

Dozens of angry customers have contacted Mr Egan demanding answers, even though he no longer works for the company. He said anyone left out of pocket from the collapse should get in touch with the liquidators.