130 Jobs Could Cross the Tasman: What an Offshored Customer Care Team Teaches Workers

News · 2026-09-02 · 4 min read

Two customer-service colleagues discuss a team change in an Australian office

When a job moves country, the worker rarely gets a say. A large New Zealand supermarket group opened consultation on a proposal to close its customer care centre and shift roughly 130 jobs across the Tasman to Australia. Staff were briefed on September 1 and had until September 15 to respond before the plan was finalised. This piece looks at what that kind of move means for people thinking about work in either country.

A proposal, not a finished decision

It is worth keeping the status clear. This was a proposal under consultation, and the company could adjust the scope of the closure after feedback. Nothing here should be read as a completed change. What the case shows is a pattern: an employer relocates a function, and the job goes where the company wants it, not where the worker lives.

The savings are modest against the company's size. A union representing staff put the projected benefit at around NZ$4.1 million in additional earnings by FY2029. The company reported NZ$163 million in earnings before interest and tax for the year to June 2026, up 8.8%, and has spent more than NZ$400 million rebranding its stores.

Who feels a job move hardest

The union says a significant share of the team are sole parents working remotely. Remote customer service often suits people with caring duties, so losing it can mean rebuilding a whole household routine, not just searching for another vacancy. A centralised, easily relocated function is efficient for the company. For someone balancing school pickups with a fixed roster, redeployment is not always realistic.

New Zealand's unemployment rate was 5.6% in the period discussed, so displaced staff are not stepping into a tight market that is keen to absorb them. The union also raised service quality, since New Zealand customers could end up speaking with agents who lack local knowledge.

Why a job crossing the Tasman is different from a worker crossing it

Workers have drifted from New Zealand to Australia for wages and opportunity for decades, but that has been an individual choice. Here the position itself migrates. The opportunity changes country, and the person must decide whether to follow it, retrain or leave the workforce. Labour mobility now runs both ways: companies relocate roles and people relocate in response.

Situation	Who decides	What the worker has to do
Worker chooses to emigrate	The individual	Find a role, secure the right visa and plan the move.
Employer offshores a function	The employer	Weigh redeployment, retraining or a new job locally.
Role is rehired in the new country	The employer, within immigration rules	Check work rights before assuming the job is open to you.

A job based in Australia does not give an overseas applicant work rights on its own. Work rights come from the visa you hold, so check the official requirements for the role first.

Steps to take if your role could be moved

Ask your employer what the consultation covers and what redeployment is actually on offer.
Write down the skills in your role that stay valuable outside it, such as problem-solving or customer judgement.
Refresh your CV. Build AI CV can help you present transferable skills in clear English.
Compare the local market with options abroad. Our look at New Zealand jobs data for movers and the story of people returning to New Zealand show both directions.

Common mistakes when a job is relocated

Waiting until the proposal is final before preparing a CV or looking at the market.
Assuming redeployment will fit your hours, location and caring responsibilities.
Treating a vacancy in another country as open to you without checking work rights.
Skipping consultation, which is the stage where scope can still change.

Questions workers ask about offshored jobs

Was the closure final?

No. It was a proposal under consultation, and the scope could change after feedback.

Do these jobs become openings for overseas workers?

Not automatically. The roles would be based in Australia, and anyone applying needs the right to work there, which depends on their visa.

Who is most exposed to a move like this?

Staff in remote or easily centralised functions, especially those who chose the work to fit around caring duties.

How do I judge whether my own job could be moved?

Ask whether the work needs you in a particular place. Functions that run entirely through phones and screens are the easiest to relocate.

Where can I see Australian vacancies?

Browse the jobs listed on JobsAbroad Australia and check each advert's conditions.

What to remember before you decide

A job relocating across a border changes the choice in front of the worker: follow it, retrain or leave the workforce. Treat any proposal as a proposal, use the consultation period, and check work rights before you chase a vacancy in another country.

#offshoring #new zealand #australia #redundancy #labour mobility