More CM Layoffs Looming?

[Sir Robin Hood]

Does anybody know how much beef is behind these rumors? Apparently WDW is down 28 % from this time last year, and layoff talk is surfacing...again. My source on this is a teacher from Orange Co. who keeps up with all the WDW buzz. I also have some friends who live in The Villages complex somewhere between Ocala and Orlando, who claim that The Villages will be the largest single employer in Central Fla by 2010 when Dis/Univ go through more rounds of layoffs.
If anyone has ever seen the size of The Villages, you wouldn't be surprised either. Still not good news though.

 

[Berlioz70]

The rumors have been floating around since March (when the second round happened). However, I just went FT in May along with about 50 other people I know in a variety of different departments. I can't image that they would have announced the new hires earlier this week (in one specific department) if layoffs were around the corner.

 

[Sir Robin Hood]

I can't image that they would have announced the new hires earlier this week (in one specific department) if layoffs were around the corner.

I'm not a CM, but that's still a relief to hear. When Disney is hurting, it reflects on many tourist areas. It also didn't seem to make sense to have more rounds of layoffs only a few months before the holiday/snow bird season for Fla.

 

[TVEPFOX]

Really? I'm so sick of employers "laying off" people and using the economy as an excuse because that's what it has become in some cases. Lay off is a crummy term. Will those people get their jobs backs? Don't think so. Why don't they just call it what it really is... you're fired because we want greater profits.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

 

[Sir Robin Hood]

Really? I'm so sick of employers "laying off" people and using the economy as an excuse because that's what it has become in some cases. Lay off is a crummy term. Will those people get their jobs backs? Don't think so. Why don't they just call it what it really is... you're fired because we want greater profits.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

True, but Berlioz70 made a good point. It's sounding like what I'm hearing are nothing more than rumors, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed it'll stay that way. I'm sure these types of rumors will pop up and die off from time to time between now and next year when things start to look upward with the economy. I was just wondering if anyone who worked closer to the Mouse could verify if these were credible predictions...or just the rumor mill spinning yet again.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

I've heard the same "rumors" everyone else here has... and I'm told there's no truth to them.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Really? I'm so sick of employers "laying off" people and using the economy as an excuse because that's what it has become in some cases. Lay off is a crummy term. Will those people get their jobs backs? Don't think so. Why don't they just call it what it really is... you're fired because we want greater profits.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

I'm just going to jump off a cliff here and assume you don't have to make a payroll every 2 weeks and that someone like me just hands you a check on Fridays. It's obvious to me that you are sheltered from the economic times those of us that run our own businesses (mine's a small business) are going through. You can (and probably should) thank your employer for that.

 

[eastcarolinafan]

I'm just going to jump off a cliff here and assume you don't have to make a payroll every 2 weeks and that someone like me just hands you a check on Fridays. It's obvious to me that you are sheltered from the economic times those of us that run our own businesses (mine's a small business) are going through. You can (and probably should) thank your employer for that.

Dude, take a big step back away from the bully pulpit. While I, for one, appreciate the difficult economic times employers face these days, let's not take our eyes off the fact that the bottoom line is the dollar sign.

Yours is a small business, as you say, so I suspect your views of the current economic climate differ from, say, a company that employs 100 people, or 500 people. I also suspect you actually harbor a degree of concern for your employees that a larger business does not. That's all that was being said here. The person was venting (perhaps you were too?)

I work for a larger company, where I assure you the management is far more concerned with the profit margin than if I can pay for my kid's braces. We are going through firings, layoffs, furloughs -- all of it. So, cut us some slack. Be the gracious bigger fish here, and let this person let off some steam.

Incidentally, perhaps nobody just hands this guy a check on Fridays, I suspect this person actually works for his pay.

 

[darrengs]

... The Villages complex somewhere between Ocala and Orlando, who claim that The Villages will be the largest single employer in Central Fla by 2010 when Dis/Univ go through more rounds of layoffs. ...

WDW employs around 65000 this villages must be huge, what is the villages?

 

[Tampa Mousekeeter]

The Village's is a huge retirement community, practically it's own town about 90 mins. north of me....our neighbors three doors down bought a house and our moving up there next month...

 

[TiffinyKC]

 

[vicki_c]

WDW employs around 65000 this villages must be huge, what is the villages?

They run national commercials all the time, mostly during golf tournaments. It seems like 1/2 the retirees from Buffalo moved to the Villages in the last 10 years! But it's huge and apparently quite the fun and nice place to retire (possibly proven by the STD cluster they had there a few years ago, when we were living nearby)! Apparently everyone there is very close!

 

[skiergirl4]

Really? I'm so sick of employers "laying off" people and using the economy as an excuse because that's what it has become in some cases. Lay off is a crummy term. Will those people get their jobs backs? Don't think so. Why don't they just call it what it really is... you're fired because we want greater profits.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Companies sometimes lay off employees to be able to make ends meet so they can stay in business. No one wins if a company ignores a problem just so they can keep the same number of employees, but then they go bankrupt six months later. Not every business is a greedy big, bad wolf.

 

[richmo]

I hope the layoffs are done, but it isn't unusual for a company to be hiring and laying off at the same time.

On the one hand, the layoffs give them a chance to divest themselves of lower performing employees. With two rounds already done, I would think a lot of the dead wood is gone, but I'm sure many still slip thru the cracks.

Also, especially for less-skilled labor, companies will sometimes lay off long term (i.e., expensive) employees for new hires, with a much lower pay rate. Its sad when that happens, but it does.

Disney is a publicly owned company, and, like it or not, they are responsible to their stockholders. If park attendance is down, they have to react. Of course, they need to keep the quality high enough that people will still come.

 

[wild4dis]

I think Disney is in an interesting dilemma. While their revenue is down 28% this year, I wonder how much of that is related to economy and how much is related to the 4/3 room discount and free dining. While Disney needs to find a way to fix that number and resource layoffs is the quickest......the crowd levels have not really dropped off all that much and cutting back CM's could have a major hit to the cust satisfaction and ultimately lead to a further decline in attendance and revenue

 

[princssdisnygina]

I personally would rather see layoffs than the parks close. I have been laid off before and yes... I was brought back. And I know... Disney does bring people back after a layoff. Some, they don't but some they do. It depends on the needs. If you notice, Disney is offering some AMAZING deals to try and get people to travel and they are not making much money by doing that, they are banking on the fact they will spend money while they are there. Sometimes it isn't about the economy, its about staying above water. If you don't make more than you spend then it doesn't make sense to even be in business. I would hate to see our favorite place on earth go under because they didn't want to lay anyone off. Sorry people... that is reality!

Btw... that was a comment based on some earlier comments. I personally don't like to see layoffs any where and I do feel bad for all of those it effects. I can't wait to see things get better! Unfortunately, when that happens... we will be back to paying normal prices for Disney!

 

[Don Disney]

Our job is cutting hours right now-I usually work 3 /12 hour shifts per week,but I was told to stay home yesterday,so I have lost 12 hours this week.Last weekend,I was told to punch out at 3pm instead of 7pm,lost 4 hours there.A couple of weeks ago,I lost 12 hours on a Friday.Next week,I'm sure I am going to lose some hours,just not sure how many.My job is directly related to "customers".I work for a Fortune 500 Company,and beleive me,THEY are the one's making a FORTUNE!!!! They don't give a *%@# about me,my co-workers,or our families-IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE!!! Management does'nt lose hours-they are all on salary;but us poor schmuks that are in the trenches busting our humps to make all of them "look good" get to lose money when "customer base"is low. So,all any of us can do is HANG IN THERE-things will get better,It's just a matter of when! Still glad I have a job-lost hours and all!!!

 

[princess63]

I hope all this talk of more layoffs is just a nasty rumor. It's tough to find a decent, well-paying job in this economy right now. Having said that, if there is any truth to this, maybe the top execs at the Disney Co. should take a good look at their huge salaries and bonuses, and figure out a way to cut back on those first, before they start kicking hard-working employees out of their jobs.

 

[eastcarolinafan]

Our job is cutting hours right now-I usually work 3 /12 hour shifts per week,but I was told to stay home yesterday,so I have lost 12 hours this week.Last weekend,I was told to punch out at 3pm instead of 7pm,lost 4 hours there.A couple of weeks ago,I lost 12 hours on a Friday.Next week,I'm sure I am going to lose some hours,just not sure how many.My job is directly related to "customers".I work for a Fortune 500 Company,and beleive me,THEY are the one's making a FORTUNE!!!! They don't give a *%@# about me,my co-workers,or our families-IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE!!! Management does'nt lose hours-they are all on salary;but us poor schmuks that are in the trenches busting our humps to make all of them "look good" get to lose money when "customer base"is low. So,all any of us can do is HANG IN THERE-things will get better,It's just a matter of when! Still glad I have a job-lost hours and all!!!

No doubt about it. Through furloughs, layoffs and firings, having a job is better than not. I don't know about the big-wigs getting by without a hitch though. I work in at a newspaper and we just got bought by an Australian company. Well, we got bought a bit more than a year ago while things were still okay. But when we did get bought, our publisher got the boot.

Little guys are expendable, yes. But in this climate, it appears the big fish are too.

 

[kmk1180]

You can twist any number and make it look bad like here saying
profits are down 28%...
but what your not saying is they still made $954 million in this quarter.
And ya i'm sure it's from 4/3 deals. and My guess is disney knows that too and knew it was coming.

Till anything is annouced this sounds like rumors and fear mongoring to me.