Hudson's Bay axing 250 employees in second round of layoffs this year
Hudson’s Bay just had its second round of layoffs this year.
The Canadian department store chain is axing another 250 employees in its latest bout of cutbacks.
Hudson’s Bay told Daily Hive that the layoffs will affect corporate jobs. It brings the total number of employees cut this year to 500, after the company reduced its workforce by about 2% in January.
“As the retail sector continues to face headwinds, we are taking additional steps to flatten the organization and streamline operations,” spokesperson Tiffany Bourre told Daily Hive in an email statement.
She says that in January, the retail giant “worked hard to minimize the impacts” on its associates, expecting economic pressures to ease up.
“However, they have persisted longer than we had hoped which has made these changes necessary,” said Bourre.
The job losses have not affected retail employees at the company’s 90 stores across Canada, reported The Canadian Press.
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“These are incredibly difficult decisions, and we are committed to fairness and respect as we support our associates impacted by these changes,” Bourre added.
The company closed its massive and historical Toronto location in March last year.
Staffers who were consequentially let go received âappropriate employment separation packages and transfer opportunities will be explored where feasible,â according to a statement Hudsonâs Bay provided to employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
Around the same time, the company also proposed a new vision for the heritage property at 674 Granville Street in Vancouver and officially revealed renderings to the public. Daily Hive Urbanized was the first to report HBCâs proposal details.
A year prior to the Toronto location shuttering, HBC laid off more than 600 employees, citing COVID-19 lockdown pressures.
With files from Imaan Sheikh
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