Walmart, Disney among 12 employers that laid off thousands during the pandemic, House inquiry finds

The nation's largest employers collectively laid disconnected much than 100,000 workers during the pandemic, according to a study released Tuesday by a House subcommittee.

Hourly workers were deed peculiarly hard. Not lone were they much apt to get fired successful 2019, 2020 and 2021 than salaried employees, but they were besides much apt to discontinue and little apt to beryllium promoted, legislature investigators found. The improvement disproportionately affected women, workers of colour and older workers.

The findings are portion of a unit study from the House Select Subcommittee connected the Coronavirus Crisis, which elaborate staffing inequities astatine 12 ample corporations: AT&T, Berkshire Hathaway, Boeing, Chevron, Cisco, Citigroup, Comcast, ExxonMobil, Oracle, Salesforce, Walmart and the Walt Disney Co. None of the companies instantly responded erstwhile contacted for comment.

"Today's study demonstrates that the inequities observed during this situation are profoundly rooted successful our system and person persisted passim the pandemic," Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., seat of the subcommittee, said successful a statement. "These findings underscore the urgent request to code inequality arsenic we proceed to enactment to execute a strong, sustainable, and equitable economical future." 

Salaried workers astatine immoderate of these companies often faired amended than their lower-paid hourly counterparts. For example, Walmart's hourly unit discontinue oregon were fired astatine higher rates and received raises and promotions astatine little rates than salaried workers 80% of the time, according to the report.

Black hourly workers astatine Walmart were besides reportedly fired doubly arsenic often arsenic achromatic hourly workers successful 2020, astatine 19.7% vs. 10.4%, according to the findings. Members of this radical were besides fired much than 3 times arsenic frequently, 19.7%, arsenic Black salaried employees astatine 6.3% and astir 5 times arsenic frequently, 19.7%, arsenic achromatic salaried employees astatine 4%.

Despite the disparities, Walmart laid disconnected comparatively less radical during the pandemic compared with different ample employers. The institution let spell of 1,240 employees — acold little than the 32,000 laid disconnected by Disney. Boeing was adjacent with 26,000 laid off, according to information compiled by the subcommittee.

Cisco and Chevron laid disconnected 3,500 and 4,500, respectively. And Exxon Mobil laid disconnected 14,000. The remaining companies fto spell of betwixt 1,000 to 13,000 of their employees.

Layoffs besides affected older workers astatine a higher complaint than younger workers. Workers 50 and older were laid disconnected astatine double, triple, oregon adjacent quintuple the complaint of younger workers, and younger workers discontinue oregon retired astatine treble oregon triple the complaint of older workers, the subcommittee found.

Benefits were besides a origin successful worker retention. One institution mislaid 28.8% of antheral hourly workers and 35.5% of pistillate hourly workers successful 2020, citing a deficiency of paid sick leave. In comparison, 10.2% of antheral hourly workers and 12.4% of pistillate hourly workers with entree to sick permission discontinue that year.

But the dire outlook for hourly workers was lone existent for immoderate companies during the pandemic, the subcommittee found. Hourly employees astatine Cisco reportedly did amended than salaried workers 40% of the clip — defined arsenic retaining their job, getting a rise oregon a promotion. They faired worse than salaried workers conscionable 20% of the time.

Chevron and Exxon saw akin trends. Chevron's hourly workers did amended than salaried workers much than fractional the time, portion Exxon's hourly workers fared amended than salaried workers 40% of the time, according to the report.

Family and caregiving permission besides encouraged retention. Workers who had entree to and took the permission discontinue astatine a little complaint than workers that did not implicit 86% of the time, according to the report. These workers besides received raises astatine a higher complaint than workers who did not instrumentality permission much than 87% of the time.

Data for LGBTQ+ workers was limited, the subcommittee found, due to the fact that lone 1 institution tracked information for the radical for the 3 years covered successful the survey.

The subcommittee's study is based connected a December 2021 survey of 12 of the nation's largest employers that besides reported important layoffs successful 2020. Initial findings released successful May revealed the pandemic-era system disproportionately harmed women moving for hourly wages.

Female hourly workers did worse than their antheral counterparts astir 30% of the clip betwixt 2019 and 2021. The spread peaked astatine 39.7% compared with some salaried and hourly men successful 2020.

In its last report, the subcommittee said that benefits, including paid leave, mightiness person influenced inequitable outcomes among hourly and salaried employees astatine the companies surveyed.

For example, Walmart mostly did not let hourly workers to usage paid clip disconnected benefits until aft 90 days of employment. Other permission benefits, specified arsenic maternity and parental leave, were not accessible to these workers until aft 12 months.

Comparatively, companies similar Chevron and Cisco made nary favoritism successful entree to benefits betwixt hourly and salaried workers during the clip of the survey and either did not necessitate a waiting play oregon applied the aforesaid eligibility standards to each employees.

Clyburn said that the findings "highlight the captious value of enacting a national, cosmopolitan paid-leave programme that gives each American entree to these important workplace benefits."

"American workers merit to cognize that, nary substance what situation they whitethorn face, they volition not person to take betwixt keeping their families fed and caring for themselves and their loved ones," helium added.