Sir Jim Ratcliffe has shown his ruthless side since taking over in February (Image: Getty Images)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has outlined his plans to completely revamp Manchester United, and it is evident that he is not concerned about upsetting staff members in order to finish them this summer.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is determined to transform Manchester United, and he doesn’t care who gets upset while he makes big changes.
This summer, the billionaire owner of INEOS is making significant changes, and Erik ten Hag isn’t the only person who might lose his job. An email sent on Tuesday to every employee who wasn’t in charge of scouting or the first team revealed that United was luring employees away from the team by promising them a bonus in advance.
Ratcliffe is in a desperate attempt to streamline operations by cutting staff, as the club posted record revenues but lost £28.7 million in their most recent financial statements. In addition, he has invited some of his employees to accept a pay cut in exchange for leaving, even as he encourages them to return to the office.
The email states: “Although many have embraced our new approach, we are aware that a number of colleagues would prefer not to commit to this new way of working and are eager to understand their options,” as The Guardian reports.
“Keeping in mind your feedback and our respect for each colleague’s freedom to select their working style, we will permit those who would like to step down early to get their bonus for this season early if they are unable to work from our offices starting on June 1st.”
Although United has maintained that this action “isn’t a voluntary redundancy programme,” some will find the email offensive and may view Ratcliffe as less than sympathetic. The 71-year-old, who Forbes estimates is worth £12.85 billion, has a history of displaying his ruthlessness and willingness to go to great lengths to save money.
Employees would have to cover their own transportation costs to and from Wembley for the FA Cup final, according to emails that were leaked earlier this year. This decision, which followed another complaint about the condition of the facilities at Old Trafford, proved to be extremely unpopular.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reducing the number of staff at Manchester United ( Image: PA
Ratcliffe described a “disgrace” he saw during a tour of the facilities and stated that standards “would not come close” to those at INEOS in communications that were leaked. Considering his public remarks and his athletic reputation, his remarks were hardly shocking.
Following the October speech by Mercedes team principal Tofo Wolflf, United should have known what to anticipate. He responded, “This is a no bull**** organization,” when questioned about Ratcliffe, who holds a 33 percent stake in the Formula One team. “They have enormous sales and profits. Quick decisions are made; three bullet points on a page, and then it’s “here we go.” Jim is the one who cuts out all the bullshit.
