Convergys' employment levels were being reduced temporarily in Baton Rouge. They announced last Tuesday that they temporarily laying off nearly 200 workers.

However, Convergys days some of the 176 employees that were let go Tuesday may be able to get their jobs back at the end of the month, if business picks up.

The graveyard shift for call center agents became one of the reported crimes. Based from a police report last June, 2 suspects were arrested when they supposedly took the cellphone of a call center agent. The victim was on her way to work at around 11 p.m. The suspects were arrested but the cellphone of the victim was not retrieved. In Bacolod, the police reported that a call center agent was attacked while robbers towed her valuables. To help call center agents to keep away from crime, a software firm is planning to let them work at home.

Edgar Doctolero, Avaya’s Country Director, said Let's face it: if I have a daughter who will work the graveyard shift who will have to commute alone… there’s too much risk. And I think their concern is valid. The thing is, there's still this pool of agents that we do not know about who has the aptitude, the skills, the knowledge, to be contact center agents but we cannot tap them because of these concerns. One-X Agent which was released last June, aims to help the contact center industry to hire talented pool of agents who are doubtful to enter the business because of security concerns.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported that Business process outsourcing (BPO), or call centers and similar businesses, remain the top local job providers. According to DOLE Regional Director Ana Dione, the demand for call center agents or CSR remains high in Baguio and LA Trinidad Benguet with 3,000 to 3,500 workers.