Jobs are at risk at Greggs as the bakery giant looks to change the way it operates amid the coronavirus crisis.
The firm, which has its headquarters in Newcastle, has started a consultation process with staff and the proposals could result in redundancies.
The company has not confirmed how many jobs are at risk and says the consultation is in the early stages.
However, it says it aims to protect as many roles as possible as it considers a number of changes to various operations in the business.
A Greggs spokesperson said: “We are talking to our colleagues about proposed changes to the way we work to make the business as productive and flexible as it can be to protect as many jobs as possible in the long term and adjust our teams to reflect the estimated level of demand.”
The news comes as companies across the country prepare for the end of the Government's furlough scheme.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme closes on October 31 and firms are having to decide if they can bring employees back to work on their normal hours, reduce employees’ hours or end their employment.
There have been calls to extend the furlough scheme in an effort to prevent mass unemployment.
Meanwhile, a number of high street businesses have seen sales plummet during the pandemic.
Cafe chain Costa has said 1,650 staff are at risk of redundancy as it looks to cut costs amid continued uncertainty over when trade will fully recover.
And last month, Pret A Manger revealed it was slashing 2,800 roles as part of a restructure of its UK business.
