McDonald’s Corp is temporarily closing US offices this week as it looks to notify corporate employees about layoffs as part of a broader restructuring plan, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The company said in an internal email last week to US employees and some international staff that they should work at home from Monday through Wednesday so it can deliver staffing decisions virtually, the newspaper reported.
McDonald’s announced in January it would be cutting corporate jobs and eliminating certain initiatives, even as it accelerates new store openings. The job cuts would be final by April 3, the fast-food company said at the time. It had about 150,000 employees as of end-2022, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The company asked employees to cancel all in-person meetings with vendors and other outside parties at its headquarters, according to the report. McDonald’s declined to comment Sunday to the newspaper on the number of employees that were being laid off.
Companies in industries from technology to retail have been slashing roles as accelerating inflation and a looming recession hurt consumer demand. Walt Disney Co. last week began eliminating positions, while Walmart Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. have also announced job cuts.