McDonald’s instructed corporate employees to work from home this week in anticipation of layoffs, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
“During the week of April 3rd, we will communicate key decisions related to positions and people throughout the organization,” the company said in an email sent to employees, according to The Wall Street Journal. “We want to ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notice period.”
The company reportedly told employees who cannot access their computers during this time to provide their personal contact information to their managers. McDonald’s has 150,000 employees at its owned locations and offices around the world, with 70% of those positions outside the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In January, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a memo to staff that job cuts were coming.
“We will be evaluating the roles and various levels of staff in the organization and there will be difficult discussions and decisions ahead,” Kempczinski wrote at the time, adding that “certain initiatives will lose priority or be stopped altogether. This will help us move faster as an organization, while reducing our overall costs and freeing up resources to invest in our growth.”
McDonald’s is one of several companies — many in the tech industry — that have announced layoffs in recent months.
