San Francisco, California-based Williams Sonoma, a multi-channel specialty retailer of high-quality cookware, tableware, small appliances, and home furnishings, has executed a major reduction in force among its seasonal remote workers.
It appeared that hundreds of remote workers, mostly in customer service and logistics, were terminated one-month earlier than promised by conference calls. Included in the layoffs were employees of other company subsidiaries including Pottery Barn and West Elm.
According to a Williams-Sonoma spokesperson, "the terminations were conducted by “small group meetings of roughly 10 to 15 over the phone because all the seasonal workers involved were remote. With a lot of seasonal work, the bulk of the work takes place prior to Christmas. There’s nothing that promises the end date of the seasonal assignment.”
It appears that the terminations followed a company initiative to curtail overtime hours.
LOOK FOR FUTURE LAYOFFS OR RELOCATIONS
It appears that Williams Sonoma might be shifting 3,000 jobs to Glendale, Arizona having leased 1.2 million square feet of industrial space in a 335-acre industrial park. The lease was signed in November 2021 for the first building. It is unknown if this will be a distribution center, customer service/call center, or both.
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?