More than 140 Sodexo employees are facing an extension to their furloughed status, according to a document filed with the state of Florida. In the notice, Sodexo says that they provide Food & Beverage services to the Cast Member cafes at Walt Disney World, and that a decrease in the amount of Cast Members recalled to work has impacted their business.
With tens of thousands of Disney World Cast Members still furloughed indefinitely, there has been a decrease in business at the Cast Member cafes, leading Sodexo to notify 146 of their employees that their furloughed status will continue indefinitely. The document filed with the state said that they expect these furloughs to continue through at least March 2021.
This is an example of how Disney World, and even Disneyland, operate as a mini-economy all their own. By bringing in millions of tourists per year at each theme park, there are supporting roles to be played by multiple lines of business within the surrounding community. It was this very concept of a mini-economy that led Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu to make an impassioned plea to the Governor of California to visit Anaheim and see the economic devastation caused by a closure of Disneyland for more than 6 months and counting.
Of course, the latest filing by Sodexo as it relates to the now-open Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL also highlights the struggles that the tourism industry expects to continue for months, if not years, to come. The indefinite furlough extension by Sodexo follows the news yesterday that the Swan and Dolphin hotel will be laying off over 1,100 of their employees as a result of forecasted record low occupancy levels.