NCO Announces Call Center Layoffs

NCO Financial Systems, a collection agency arm of Horsham, Pa.-based NCO Group, plans to lay off 107 workers at its Virginia Beach, Va. call center, according to a notice filed with the Virginia Employment Commission.

The notice said the permanent layoffs are set to take effect May 4. The notice was filed in accordance with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, also known as WARN, which mandates a 60-day advance notice of a mass layoff or closure.

In 2010 NCO Financial announced plans to lay off 368 workers at its Hampton, Va.-based call center.

In November, the agency announced it was closing the health care program at its Columbus, Ohio office in January, a move that put 85 people out of work. That program shut down “due to business needs," according to the company’s layoff notice filed with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

NCO Financial's holding company is Plano, Texas-based Expert Global Solutions, which employs 42,000 people at more than 100 locations in 12 countries.

Expert Global in July agreed to pay a $3.2 million fine for allegedly making illegal collections calls and not verifying debt in dispute. The fine was the largest by the Federal Trade Commission issued against a third-party debt collector.