AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT SCOTT'S MIRACLE-GRO

Marysville, Ohio-based Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, a major producer of consumer lawn, garden, and pest control products, has announced that it is responding to shifting consumer buying patterns in economically hard times, reduced retailer orders, and major inventory overstock issues at major clients like Walmart, Target, and Home Depot.

According to the company's CEO and Chairman James Hagedorn, "While we have been forced to make dozens of tough decisions in a compressed time frame, including a headcount reduction of hundreds of people, we’re also protecting our competitive advantages and securing our leadership pipeline we need in the future."

Hundreds of employees remain at risk in this second round of layoffs since 200 employees were laid off in February 2022 at its Hawthorne Gardening subsidiary, one of the country's largest suppliers to indoor cannabis grow operations.

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. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. 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?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT BATH & BODY WORKS

Columbus, Ohio-based Bath & Body Works, a retail store chain that sells soaps, lotions, fragrances, and candles, has announced management changes to simplify its operating structure and a reduction in force.

The reduction in force will impact 130 employees, the majority of which are in leadership positions. Other initiatives include organizational changes, additional cost control actions, and merchandise margin improvement opportunities.

A company spokesperson noted, "As part of efforts to better position the organization for long-term growth and create organizational efficiencies, the company recently simplified and realigned its operating structure. These actions included the elimination of about 130 roles, the majority of which were leadership positions. While we are taking aggressive action to control costs and improve overall efficiencies, we remain focused on customer-facing investments, including the upcoming launch of our loyalty program throughout the U.S.”

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. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. 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?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT 7-ELEVEN

Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven, the iconic convenience store chain, has announced a restructuring initiative to integrate its $21 billion acquisition of Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Speedway gas stations in 2020.

The post-acquisition restructuring initiative appears to be driven by the need to reduce duplicative functions, satisfy regulatory demands for the divestiture of 200 retail outlets, from ValueAct Capital, an activist investor, who is demanding structural reforms and sell off non-core assets to focus on 7-Eleven's growth and reduced revenue from stores associated with gas stations experiencing high gas prices.

The restructuring will impact 880 employees, mostly support team members, in the company's Irving, Texas headquarters and Speedway's headquarters located in Enon, Ohio.

According to a company spokesperson, "As with any merger, our integration approach includes assessing our combined organization structure. The review was slowed by Covid-19 but is now complete, and we are finalizing the go-forward organization structure. These decisions have not been made lightly, and we are working to support impacted employees, including providing career transition services."

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?