Disneyland will reportedly furlough 1,800 employees at its theme park due to the lack of reopening in California, the Orange County Register reports.
- Theme parks remain closed for the foreseeable future, which has left Disneyland stuck with furloughing employees until they’re allowed to open the gates.
What happened:
Disney filed the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act Nov. 12. Furloughs began Nov. 23 and will run through Feb. 21, the Orange County Register reports.
- Nonunion and union employees were furloughed as the park remains close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Furloughed employees include “landscapers, engineers, painters, plasterers and custodians as well as employees working in entertainment, restaurants and attractions,” according to the OC Register.
Key quote:
“We have provided impacted employees as much notice as practicable under the circumstances, as we had to act quickly after the state recently announced its unexpected reopening restrictions, which now make clear that we cannot reopen Disneyland Resort in the foreseeable future,” according to the WARN Act notification, the Orange County Register reports.
Flashback:
Disneyland President Ken Potrock told employees back in October the furloughs would be coming, FOX Los Angeles reports.
- “Our thoughts go out to these employees and all who’ve been impacted by the coronavirus economic downturn,” Anaheim chief communications officer Mike Lyster said.
- “While it is all hands on deck right now as we deal with a renewed surge in cases, this is a reminder why we need a plan for economic recovery that provides a realistic reopening roadmap for Anaheim’s theme parks when the time is right.”