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Earlier this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced major layoffs that the company was going to be instituting; the news was shocking, not only in the magnitude of the number of people being laid off but also as it confirmed that Disney is currently in hot water after their disaster of the past year. While this move took the community by storm when it was announced, the day is soon to arrive when this actually happens. It was recently announced that the Walt Disney Company is now officially prepping for its first round of Disney layoffs. But it appears there might be one set of Disney employees who might be safe from this move.
Disney characters at Cinderella Castle, Magic Kingdom Park/Courtesy of Disney
Related: Disney Executives Ordered to Compile List of “Layoff Candidates”
When the layoffs were first announced, Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro made clear that these layoffs were unlikely to involve frontline workers. While many fans questioned whether that statement could ring true, recent reports suggest that the Walt Disney Company executive was sincere.
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, records from the state of Florida “show Disney has not filed any mass layoff notices with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity as of Monday.”
Had a great visit to @WaltDisneyWorld this week and I'm always so inspired by our spectacular cast members, who bring such talent and dedication to everything they do. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/9T1CeUMtgs
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) January 19, 2023
As the Sentinel elaborates, Federal law requires companies to file notices with the state 60 days prior to layoffs affecting 50 or more workers. Bob Iger also has repeatedly underlined that the Disney Parks are one of Disney’s best-performing sectors right now. During the February 8 Q1 earnings call, it was made clear that even through 2022, the Disney Parks consistently performed well.
Beacons of Magic, Tree of Life, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort / Courtesy of Disney
In addition, Eric Clinton, a union president at Walt Disney World, had also stated it was unlikely that Walt Disney World Cast Members would be affected by the Disney layoffs—and this looks to be true even for the first round: “You don’t save the company money by cutting your lowest-paid workers.” Clinton also shared that Cast Members’ “positions are protected by the union coalition’s contract with Disney.”
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