Walmart to Lay Off Hundreds of Employees, Relocate Remote Workers Back to the Office The news comes just a day ahead of the company's highly-anticipated Q1 2024 earnings report.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Walmart is the latest retailer to be hit by mass layoffs as the chain confirmed today it is laying off hundreds of employees and relocating others.
"Some parts of our business have made changes that will result in a reduction of several hundred campus roles," Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris wrote in a memo to employees on Wednesday. "While the overall numbers are small in percentage, we are focused on supporting each of our associates affected by these changes."
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Employees were told that the "majority" of remote employees and those working at the company's Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto Global Tech offices, would be relocated to Walmart HQ in Bentonville, Arkansas. Others would be moved to the San Francisco and New York/Hoboken offices.
"We believe that being together, in person, makes us better and helps us to collaborate, innovate and move even faster," Morris wrote. "We also believe it helps strengthen our culture as well as grow and develop our associates."
The decision to bring employees to Bentonville comes as no surprise after the company announced in 2019 its plans to create a massive 350-acre home campus with amenities including a fitness center, daycare, food hall, Pickleball courts, and a dozen separate office buildings. Though construction and development have a ways to go before completion, several buildings have already opened.
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Walmart had a strong finish to 2024 after reporting a 6% annual increase in revenue and a 32% increase in operating income year over year.
"At Walmart, we're a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer dedicated to helping people save money and live better," CEO Doug McMillon said in an earnings release at the time. "We're innovating and changing as our associates and customers change, while staying true to who we are."
Wednesday's layoffs come ahead of Walmart's Q1 2024 Earnings Report set to be released on Thursday.
