Retailer also looking to relocate U.S.-, Canada-based remote workforce to central hubs
Walmart is laying off "several hundred" employees due to changes in some parts of its business, according to reports.
The employer did not elaborate on the reason behind the layoffs, according to a Reuters report.
Walmart Canada has more than 100,000 associates, according to its LinkedIn profile. However, reports did not specify how many workers in Canada are being let go.
Microsoft’s Xbox, Tesla, UPS and McKinsey & Co., among others, are also laying off workers.
Walmart relocating remote workers
The retail giant is also asking remote workers based in the U.S. and Canada to relocate from small tech-focused offices to central hubs, according to Wall Street Journal.
"We are asking the majority of associates working remotely, and the majority of associates within our offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and our Toronto Global Tech office, to relocate," Donna Morris, Walmart's chief people officer wrote in a memo to its U.S. campus associates on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
With the move, the employer is looking to bring more people together more often and strengthen Walmart's culture. The employer is also looking to develop the careers of its employees, Reuters reported, citing the memo.
As part of the move, Walmart is shutting down a Toronto office, reported the Toronto Star.
In late 2023, the employer launched an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot for secure internal use for all home office-based associates.
“In Canada, non-unionized employees at Walmart are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing, corporate restructuring, or the closure of the business,” noted Lior Samfiru, a founding partner of Samfiru Tumarkin.
“This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.”
Samfiru reminded workers that may be affected by the Walmart layoffs to double-check the amount before accepting a severance offer.
“In addition to your salary, make sure to factor in any other elements of your compensation (i.e. bonuses, commission, etc.),” he said.
If the employer’s offer falls short of what you are owed, it is highly likely that workers “have been wrongfully dismissed," he said.
