MouseInfo independently confirmed an email sent today to select Disney staff about unfortunate news regarding pay for many executive, salaried, and non-union hourly Cast Members in the US, effective April 19, 2020.
The partial statement follows below.
With the utmost care and consideration, we are instituting a temporary, short-term furlough for executive, salaried and non-union hourly Cast Members based in the U.S. with the exception of those whose roles or projects are crucial to maintaining our operations during this closure period, effective April 19.
By taking this step now, we are able to allow Cast Members to:
- Maintain health and insurance benefits coverage, with the company paying both the employer and employee weekly benefit contributions;
- If eligible, elect to use some or all of their available paid-time off hours (vacation and floating holidays) at the start of the furlough;
- Once furloughed, access an extra $600 per week in federal compensation through the economic stimulus bill, as well as state unemployment insurance benefits;
- Continue progress toward their education goals with the Disney Aspire education program; and
- Use services provided by LifeCare, Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources.
And most important, this allows us to preserve the jobs of Cast Members who are, and will continue to be, an important part of the Disney family, and provide an easier return to work when our communities recover from the impact of COVID-19..
The statement went onto convey, “This certainly is one of the most difficult choices the company has ever faced. But we are committed to doing everything we can – even when the decisions are unimaginably hard – to help preserve jobs and help ensure that our Cast Members can return to their roles.”
