Suncorp is assessing roles within its claims department to determine which positions are suitable for offshoring, according to the Finance Sector Union (FSU).

The move follows a recent trip to India by senior Suncorp executives to further explore offshoring opportunities.

A Suncorp spokesman told insuranceNEWS.com.au the company “is constantly looking at ways to simplify the way we do things”.

“This process typically involves investigation of a range of options, including consideration of partnering opportunities, where we believe a service could be provided more efficiently by an external provider in Australia or overseas than doing it ourselves.

“No decisions have been made and it’s still too early to speculate about the outcomes.”

An FSU circular says some of its members who work in claims for AAMI and other parts of Suncorp “have been notified that representatives from Indian company World Network Services will be assessing their roles to determine if the roles are suitable for offshoring”.

“Staff have been advised that their roles are being ‘scoped’ and that they will need to explain to the offshoring company what their role entails,” the FSU says.

Sources say Suncorp currently has close to 300 outsourced staff working in India across both commercial and personal lines in payroll and IT, but the FSU says this would be the first time claims roles are sent offshore.