Disney Layoffs Questions: Will Executives Take “Major Pay Cuts?”

The February 8 earnings call took the Disney community by storm, and in particular, the announcement of the Disney layoffs has raised questions among shaken fans.

It seems that former Disney CEO Bob Chapek ‘s Era is truly over. Disney has taken multiple steps to ensure that much has been made clear. During the February 8 Walt Disney Company earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a massive transformation of the company and also brought with him a host of somber announcements peppered with some news that Disney Park fans could look forward to.

Related: Here’s How Disney’s Layoffs Are Going To Affect the Disney Parks

However, the news that has continued to take the Disney community by storm since the call has been, and continues to be, the significant layoffs that the company will see. The Disney layoffs have kept many on the edge of their seats, wondering what it means for the company’s various sectors, especially considering that the Parks sector, for example, has been performing well. At the same time, any Disney Fanatic would now know the low-down on Disney’s entertainment and streaming losses.

But when the number of people who will eventually be laid off is as high as 7000, fans have begun questioning whether the layoffs and the cost-cutting are equitable.

The executives are all taking major pay cuts right? 🤔

— DisneyWorldTom (@disneytiktok) February 9, 2023

The wage gap between the C-suite of the Walt Disney Company and an hourly-wage Cast Member certainly needs no explanation. Still, some fans are questioning whether the senior executives will also be foregoing their bonuses and taking pay cuts considering that many hourly-wage Cast Members are going to be affected by this change.

This is just one of the types of questions that fans are asking about the Disney layoffs.

I hope that's correct. Disneyland still feels understaffed since the 2021 reopening, especially in Foods; it's gotten better but not back to normal. They need to be hiring more, not laying off, IMHO as a regular Disneyland guest/Magic Key holder.

— Laura G (@LaurasMiscMovie) February 9, 2023

In addition, when it comes to the specific sector of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, headed by Josh D’Amaro, fans are pointing out a well-known reality already: the Parks already feel incredibly understaffed to most Guests. Considering that Iger and D’Amaro have underlined time and again that “Guest satisfaction” is at the fore of their continued strategy, it certainly begs the question of how these layoffs will impact Disney Cast Members and Disney Guests and whether that impact is one the former should be bearing the brunt of at all.

The last time executives were to take major pay cuts was during the fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workforce. It does stand to reason that if Disney is indeed going through a challenging period, this should likely be a part of the solution. However, an announcement of this kind has been noticeably absent.

The world is watching Disney as it embarks on this next chapter; it remains to be seen how the Mouse House will handle what comes next.