Disneyland and Walt Disney World to furlough most non-essential workers

Disneyland and Walt Disney World will reportedly furlough their non-essential workers after April 18th which is currently the last day hourly employees are scheduled to be paid during the closure related to are national health emergency.

The decision was revealed in an email that went out to many employees and has been reported in local news.

“With the utmost care and consideration, we are instituting a temporary, short-term furlough for executive, salaried and non-union hourly Cast Members based in the U.S. with the exception of those whose roles or projects are crucial to maintaining our operations during this closure period, effective April 19,” said Disney executives in the email.

This move will allow furloughed employees to file for unemployment in their states. The rescue package that was passed in Washington DC last week includes an extra $600 a week for those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 related layoffs.

A Disney Spokesperson released the following statement:

“The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on our world with untold suffering and loss, and has required all of us to make sacrifices. Over the last few weeks, mandatory decrees from government officials have shut down a majority of our businesses. Disney employees have received full pay and benefits during this time, and we’ve committed to paying them through April 18, for a total of five additional weeks of compensation. However, with no clear indication of when we can restart our businesses, we’re forced to make the difficult decision to take the next step and furlough employees whose jobs aren’t necessary at this time. The furlough process will begin on April 19, and all impacted workers will remain Disney employees through the duration of the furlough period. They will receive full health care benefits, plus the cost of employee and company premiums will be paid by Disney, and those enrolled in Disney Aspire will have continued access to the education program. Additionally, employees with available paid time off can elect to use some or all of it at the start of the furlough period and, once furloughed, they are eligible to receive an extra $600 per week in federal compensation through the $2 trillion economic stimulus bill, as well as state unemployment insurance.”

Disney will be meeting with union representatives to find a workable solution for union employees.

This furlough program extends beyond the parks and includes Disney’s IT divisions, Imagineering, and others. Non-essential employees will also include some high level executives in the company.

This is a developing story.