Walmart to lay off hundreds of corporate staff and relocate others, including in Toronto

American multinational retail corporation Walmart Inc. is gearing up to cut hundreds of corporate jobs and is asking the majority of remote workers to move to offices, according to a Wall Street Journal report released on Monday.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report reveals that workers of the retail giant’s smaller offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto are being asked to move to other central hubs in the US, including Walmart’s corporate base in Bentonville, Hoboken, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs and asking most remote workers to move to offices https://t.co/AhDAMKBDiG https://t.co/AhDAMKBDiG

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 14, 2024

The Canadian branch of the US-based retail conglomerate was first established in 1994 and is headquartered in Mississauga. According to Walmart Canada’s LinkedIn page, the branch employs more than 100,000 associates, making it one of the country’s largest employers.

Walmart has not commented on the layoffs at the time of publication and it is currently unknown how many jobs in Toronto will be affected.

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As part of the new changes, the company is allowing a hybrid work schedule, where employees can work part-time remotely, as long as they are in the office for the majority of their work week.

Last year, the Arkansas-based retailer said that it expects about 65% of its stores to be serviced by automation by the end of its fiscal year in 2026.

Walmart is set to report its first-quarter results on Thursday.