Disney Layoffs to Start This Week: Read Bob Iger’s Memo to Staff

Wilson Chapman
·2 min read
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We knew mass-layoffs were coming to Disney, we just didn’t know when. That lingering question was answered Monday via a memo to staff from CEO Bob Iger.

In the email, obtained by IndieWire, Iger explained that approximately 7,000 jobs from the entertainment giant will be cut across three stages. The first group of impacted employees will receive their notices during the next four days. “Several thousand” more staff members will be reduced from the company next month, in April, and a final round of layoffs will occur “before the beginning of the summer.”

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“The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly. This company is home to the most talented and dedicated employees in the world, and so many of you bring a lifelong passion for Disney to your work here. That’s part of what makes working at Disney so special,” Iger wrote in his staff memo. “It also makes it all the more difficult to say goodbye to wonderful people we care about. I want to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to every departing employee for your numerous contributions and your devotion to this beloved company.”

The Disney layoffs come as part of Iger’s massive restructuring of several Disney divisions. The reorg, which comes after Iger returned to the CEO position last November after originally stepping down from the post in 2020, will reverse many of the decisions made by his successor/predecessor Bob Chapek.

The Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution tech and product team Chapek formed will be dismantled; Kareem Daniel, one of Chapek’s main appointments at the company and the head of the DMED division, exited in November. With the exception of the parks/products and ESPN, which are now standalone branches, the entertainment divisions at the company — including Disney Studios, General Entertainment, Animation, Disney+, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight, and Hulu — will be brought under the roof of Disney Entertainment, led by Dana Walden and Alan Bergman. Layoffs will especially target DMED employees, but all Disney branches may be affected.

Read the full memo from Iger below.

Dana Walden, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman attend the 2023 Oscars - Credit: Getty Images
Dana Walden, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman attend the 2023 Oscars - Credit: Getty Images

Getty Images

Dear Fellow Employees,
As I shared with you in February, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our overall workforce by approximately 7,000 jobs as part of a strategic realignment of the company, including important cost-saving measures necessary for creating a more effective, coordinated and streamlined approach to our business. Over the past few months, senior leaders have been working closely with HR to assess their operational needs, and I want to give you an update on those efforts.

This week, we begin notifying employees whose positions are impacted by the company’s workforce reductions. Leaders will be communicating the news directly to the first group of impacted employees over the next four days. A second, larger round of notifications will happen in April with several thousand more staff reductions, and we expect to commence the final round of notifications before the beginning of the summer to reach our 7,000-job target.

The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly. This company is home to the most talented and dedicated employees in the world, and so many of you bring a lifelong passion for Disney to your work here. That’s part of what makes working at Disney so special. It also makes it all the more difficult to say goodbye to wonderful people we care about. I want to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to every departing employee for your numerous contributions and your devotion to this beloved company.

For our employees who aren’t impacted, I want to acknowledge that there will no doubt be challenges ahead as we continue building the structures and functions that will enable us to be successful moving forward. I ask for your continued understanding and collaboration during this time.

In tough moments, we must always do what is required to ensure Disney can continue delivering exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world – now, and long into the future. Please know that our HR partners and leaders are committed to creating a supportive and smooth process every step of the way.

I want to thank each of you again for all your many achievements here at The Walt Disney Company.

Sincerely,
Bob

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