We were disappointed to read in your report on Chubb Europe's offshoring pilot project (News 23 February) that "a senior manager at Chubb, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the true figure (of staff members who may be affected if the project is implemented) could be as much as 500."
If a Chubb employee made that comment to your reporter then you are entitled to print it. But we must respond formally as this incorrect figure of 500 is different to the true figure of between 12% and 15% of Chubb Europe's 1,200 staff being potentially affected.
If we put all other considerations aside, there is one issue that has been overlooked in your report: regulatory obligation.
In our presentations to staff on 22 February, we made the figure of 12% to 15% explicitly clear. Numerous regulations, at both a pan-European and domestic level, require us to provide our staff with an accurate figure of jobs that could be affected. And that we did.
I do not think anyone would give serious consideration to the suggestion that Chubb would deliberately flout such regulations.
The only conclusion that can be drawn from this episode is that your source was deliberately trying to mislead you and Insurance Times readers.
Martin Richards
Head of communications
Chubb Europe
