A swine flu call centre is to open in Southwark in London, recruiting 800 call-centre agents, team leaders and HR consultants, HR magazine has learned.

The call centre will offer the recruits temporary vacancies lasting between four and 22 weeks.

Among the vacancies on offer are three HR positions to deal with pay queries, timesheets, onboarding staff and dealing with grievances, absences, attendance and holidays.

The vacancies, advertised by Jobcentre Plus come after the Government announced on Monday the National Flu Pandemic Service would go live by Friday this week, requiring 1,500 staff to man the phones at any one time to deal with the volume of queries about the illness.