Disney's response to tens of thousands of its employees and Cast Members who are out of work has been horrendous. After the initial furlough in April, there has been absolutely NO communication from the company to its people, until last week (late August), when it sent out an impersonal, HR-correct, blanket email telling everyone that the furlough will continue, with no end in sight. That communication last week was the first one in over four months. Leaders have not reached-out and even shown empathy with their own, individual teams. The lack of care on the part of the company towards its employees is astounding. People in the world-wide Disney family are suffering - trying to make house or rent payments, trying to feed their families, trying to survive. And in the meantime, it is announced that all company executives would return to their FULL salaries on September 1st. Unbelievable!! Disney has always touted its "culture" as one that cares about all the people who make it a success. In these hard times, now we see their true colors. It turns out to be just like any other company, that cares only for its profits, and not an ounce for the thousands of people that are at the heart of making those profits for them. Looking back in my career, I am disappointed in ever placing my trust in them and working my heart out for what I thought was something better. Disney executives should truly be ashamed of the great stain that this response has placed on what was once a great brand. No longer. The Disney legacy will be hard to rescue.
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Don't fool yourself, Disney has always had more than enough money to keep paying its employees (working or not) through this long furlough. If they really were about "caring" for their Cast Members, this is what they would have done. Reducing payroll, either through mass furloughs or layoffs (which are still coming), is their way of keeping Disney stockholders happy with dividend payments. Their employees (except executives) never came first - that's the travesty! How much respect and loyalty, even after 30 years with them, do you think I still have for a company that makes me wipe-out all of my retirement and savings in a six-month (or more) furlough period to survive and feed my family?
I don’t know what more you expect. Those furloughed are on furlough until the guests come back. Those jobs are based on guest demand. They have done everything they can to get the guests to come back but it’s out of their control. There’s nothing really to update week to week or month to month. Whether the executives take a pay cut or not it won’t bring anyone back any faster. They are the ones still working and trying to keep the company. Also Disney is bigger then the parks. This includes media, DTC, studios and Consumer Products. Would you rather lose these executives to other companies because they aren’t paying them in full and not have a job to come back to?
It is going to be interesting if Disney will start with layoffs. September will be a tell. The new fiscal year starts in October. Budgets and planning have been completed for 2021.
If you truly know something about "Disney will not bring many full-timers back."... Please let us know, or is this just a good guess?
It's going to get worse. Disney will not bring many full-timers back. This is just the beginning of a major drop in the tourism industry
A few places are hiring? Where?
Universal in Orlando has just announced that it is closing its hotels and that 1,291 employees will either face permanent layoffs or be put on a further "indefinite" furlough, with no end in sight. Six months into the pandemic, tens of thousands of us are trying to survive on unemployment of $275 week. No other jobs on the horizon. This whole situation is tragic, and Disney and Universal just let their people suffer in silence, even those with 20 and 30 years of loyalty to them. Sure, they might be paying insurance for people on "furlough," but insurance doesn't feed a family or pay the electric bill. If anyone thinks that this is a good deal, you really are living a fantasy!
No company is going to get a pandemic right, so i will give the mouse a little grace. A few places are hiring until we get back to magic. Let's keep the faith.
Don’t forget they are providing you free insurance until April 2021. What other company would do that? It’s called get a secondary job until you get called back, thousands of us did that already.
Thank you for the tip that the letter might be in spam. Unfortunately, it is not. I'm so worried that this means a lay-off. Thoughts, good or bad?
FYI, at first I did not think I received the extended furlough letter either. But then I looked in my spam folder and there it was. I think it's ironic that the "Dear Valued Employee" letter winds up in spam. Sad, so, so sad.
All of the comments above, are absolutely spot on. I have not* even received the extended furlough letter, and I all I do is wonder what that means. For almost four months, leadership has not reached out to the members of our department still on furlough except just to "chat" for a minute. (* Any thoughts on why I have not received an extended furlough email?)
This is not the Disney I hired into. It is just another corporate behemoth whose main objective is to return shareholder value under the guise of "family values" and lately "social justice". As a "valued employee", I have a name and HR knows it. You would think the least they can do is personally address an infrequent and impersonal email furlough update.
I understand, respect and accept that executives are paid more. I would never want the responsibilities nor personal sacrifices that come with those jobs. But the compensation is extremely excessive and disproportional coming at the expense of rank and file employees and the paying public. Nothing will change until the brand becomes tarnished enough due to public rejection of Disney policies.
Patiently awaiting destiny . . .
I'm in the same boat, after nearly 25 years with the company, and I'm beside myself that things were handled this way...
Im on furlough from WDI and completely agree with you! Everytime I read “Dear ValuedEmployee” I just laugh. These executives have crippled peoples lives. I hope they get a taste of their own medicine someday.