Disney Will Furlough Non-Essential Employees Later This Month

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The Walt Disney Company revealed in a statement today that all non-essential employees will be placed on furlough later this month.

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to spread across the globe, especially in the United States, The Walt Disney Company has revealed that non-essential employees will be placed on unpaid furlough starting on April 19. One of the largest companies in the world, this decision will leave thousands of Disney employees on unpaid furlough.

The employees in question include staff from all around the world. Ever since Disney decided to shutter most of its operations in the wake of the coronavirus, employees were promised that they would retain their benefits and have their pay extended until April 18. With the situation becoming increasingly worrisome stateside, Disney has revealed that those employees who are placed under furlough will not be losing their jobs. In addition to the job security promised by Disney, they will also retain their full healthcare benefits. American employees are also eligible for unemployment compensation from the government as well. Those who are enrolled in the Disney Aspire program, the company’s education investment program, will still have access to their education.

The company closed its theme parks all over the world earlier last month, in addition to its numerous retail stores and studios. With theatres shuttering their doors for the foreseeable future, the studio also made the difficult decision to postpone the releases of numerous films, including the highly-anticipated Black Widow and Mulan. The company did, however, release Pixar’s Onward for early digital release and the Tom Holland and Chris Pratt-voiced film will hit Disney Plus this Friday.

With it being a pandemic, there’s no idea as to when Disney and other prolific studios will able to return to a state of normalcy and continue to release their slate of films.

Source: The Walt Disney Company