Reported Offshore Headcount
100+
reported 1 Jan 2020, Origin to slash 140 jobs from Adelaide call centre
Estimated % of Workforce
~1.8%
illustrative, not directly reported by the company
Destination Countries
Financial Context
Market Cap
$14.0B
Revenue
$15.8B
Net Profit
$800M
Estimated Wage Differential
~$9M/yr
CEO: Frank Calabria
$5,600,000
72x avg Australian worker
Illustrative wage differential: if the 100+ reported offshore roles were instead employed in Australia at average local rates, the additional cost could be in the order of ~$9M/yr (~1.1% of reported net profit). This is an estimate based on industry averages, not company-specific data.
Would this company be profitable without offshoring?
Every dollar paid offshore leaves the Australian economy, reducing local wages, tax receipts, and economic circulation. Why it matters
Financial data: FY2024. Estimate uses avg AU employment cost of $110,000+/yr (incl. super and on-costs) vs offshore $25,000/yr (salary + on-costs). Actual figures vary by role, seniority, and location.
In Plain English
- In 2020, Origin Energy was reported to have 100+ offshore contractors and staff.
- This represents ~1.8% when compared to its current workforce of 5,420 (illustrative comparison only, not directly reported by the company).
- Known outsourcing partners include Accenture.
- 140 Australian jobs have been cut, with all occurring during periods of offshore expansion.
Based on data from public sources at the dates reported. Figures may not reflect current headcount. See sources below for full attribution.
The Story
- September 2019Origin Energy closed its Adelaide call centre, cutting approximately 140 jobs. The closure followed a review of the company's international operations and customer service functions. [ABC News]
All facts sourced from public reporting. No editorial commentary. Click source links to verify.
Offshoring Timeline
| Date | Department | Country | Headcount | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jun 2025 | Call Centre | 🇨🇳 China | — | Estimated |
| 1 Dec 2025 | Call Centre | 🇵🇭 Philippines | — | Confirmed |
| 1 Dec 2025 | Call Centre | 🇮🇳 India | — | Confirmed |
Layoff Events
| Date | Headcount | Location | Department | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sept 2019 | 140 | Australia | call_centre | Linked to offshoring record |
Consultancy Engagements
| Vendor | Type | Contract Value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture | Managed Services | — | Confirmed |
Other Energy & Utilities Companies That Offshore
Other companies in energy & utilities with reported offshore operations.
| Company | ASX | Reported Offshore | Offshore Destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worley | WOR | 6,000+ | 🇮🇳 India |
| EnergyAustralia | 300+ | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| Ampol | ALD | 200+ | 🇮🇳 India |
| Infratil | IFT | 200+ | 🇵🇭 Philippines🇮🇳 India |
| AGL Energy | AGL | 155+ | 🇿🇦 South Africa🇵🇭 Philippines🇮🇳 India |
What Public Sources Say
All information below is sourced from publicly available documents and reporting. Excerpts are direct quotes. Click source links to verify.
“IAG (8.5 million customers) outsources at least part of their contact centre in 2025.”
“Origin Energy closed Adelaide call centre, cutting ~140 jobs.”
Spread the word
Offshore Watch runs on people passing it on. If this matters to you, share it. The more people who see it, the harder it is to ignore.
This list is not complete, and never will be
If a company isn't listed here, that doesn't mean it doesn't offshore. And every number is the lowest we can prove, so the real figures can often be higher.
Read whyShow less
This list is not complete, and never will be
If a company isn't listed here, that doesn't mean it doesn't offshore. And every number is the lowest we can prove, so the real figures can often be higher.
This started as an ASX 200 project and mostly still is. It has widened as stories landed from outside that list, so it now also covers employers that aren't ASX-listed, like Canva, Allianz Australia, SS&C and Crown Resorts, along with government departments and agencies. Companies get added when something surfaces about them, not by working through a list in order.
Australian companies are under no obligation to disclose where their work is done, and there is no register of offshored jobs. Everything here comes from something that surfaced publicly: an annual report, a modern slavery statement, a news article, a union statement, a government contract, or a tip from someone who was there.
So an absence usually means nobody has reported on that company and we haven't got to it yet, not that it keeps its work onshore. Some of the biggest offshorers say nothing at all. And because each figure counts only what a source actually stated, the real numbers can often run higher, sometimes much higher.
Every figure links to the source it came from, so you can judge it yourself rather than take our word for it. If you know something that is missing or wrong, tell us. Corrections are published, not quietly buried.
This profile reflects public information at the time of publication and may not match current operations. Is something wrong or missing about Origin Energy? Submit a correction. We welcome input from companies, employees, and researchers.