Cobb EMC to Cut 55 to 110 Jobs

By Rodney Thrash

Following months of study that found it was "significantly overstaffed in certain areas compared to peer companies nationally," Cobb Electric Membership Corp. announced Wednesday that it will cut 55 to 110 jobs through voluntary separation packages.

The company’s 550 employees learned of the voluntary separation offer in a series of meetings Wednesday and will receive "personalized information" with their paychecks today.

Employees will have 60 days to consider the package before deciding whether to accept the offer, Cobb EMC CEO and president Chip Nelson said in a statement posted on the company's website.

Nelson said he expects 75 to 100 employees to accept the voluntary separation offer. If Cobb EMC is still overstaffed once the voluntary phase of the program is over, layoffs may be necessary.

“I want to be clear that while we have an obligation to our members to operate as cost-effectively as possible, this initiative is driven first and foremost by operational considerations," Nelson said. "We will save money in the process and that’s important. But more important is realigning our staffing, systems, and operations to meet current and future member needs, and we will take the time we need to do this correctly.”