Universal Orlando laid off some workers on Tuesday, about two weeks after it reopened its theme parks following a months-long coronavirus shutdown.
“We have made the difficult decision to reduce our parks and resorts workforce across multiple locations and business units,” Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said Tuesday night.
He did not give the number of people laid off. Severance pay, subsidized health benefits and professional reemployment assistance are being offered to the affected workers, he said.
“We are working to structure and strengthen our business for the future in anticipation of the tourism industry taking time to fully recover. In that regard, we have already taken important steps such as adjusting budgets and implementing salary reductions and furloughs,” Schroder said.
“This decision was not made lightly, but was necessary to prepare us for the future,” he said.
In April, Universal cut many of its employees’ pay by 20%. It furloughed its part-time hourly workers as of May 3.
Universal Orlando began reopening the resort with a handful of businesses at Universal CityWalk, an entertainment complex adjacent to its theme parks, on May 14. Universal Studios, Island of Adventure and Volcano Bay water park reopened with reduced capacity on June 5.
Comcast, Universal Orlando’s parent company, said in April that work on third theme park in Orlando was being suspended. Original plans called for Epic Universe to open in 2023, but a new opening date has not been announced.
In May, Comcast Chief Financial Officer Mike Cavanagh emphasized that the company is delaying Epic Universe, planned for land near the Orange County Convention Center, as opposed to rethinking whether to do it.
“The confidence is high,” he said. “It’s a great project.”
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