by Rob Daly

Staff at a Kent healthcare insurance office have been asked to decide what cutbacks the company should make.

Employees at AXA PPP Healthcare, which has its head office in Tunbridge Wells, have been sent an email with the subject heading 'Getting us through the recession'.

Staff were asked whether they would be willing to take a 10 per cent pay cut to keep their role - or if it would be better for the company to make 300 job cuts.

They were also asked to decide what perks they should lose. Possibilities included an end to free fruit - known as 'Fruity Friday' - reducing paid overtime and cutting maternity benefits.

Company spokesman Ben Faulkner said: "We are trying to find ways to reduce operating costs in light of the challenging current economic climate and, as a part of this, we have been asking our employees for their views on a number of steps we might take to help to achieve this.

"We have a strong, experienced team and we are not looking to have to make widespread redundancies."

Around 1,800 people are employed in Tunbridge Wells, with another 200 working at smaller offices in Leicester and Glasgow.

Voting was due to close on Tuesday.