In an attempt to wring more efficiencies out of ABC News, Disney also is expected to furlough two dozen employees at the network. In addition, one Disney source said that executives have been told that there will be about 25 layoffs at the studio, which includes movie, music, home entertainment and TV animation divisions. The buyouts were offered to most salaried employees, from secretaries to senior vice presidents. Disney was disappointed that more upper level managers didn't accept the offer, two former Disney executives said. Uncertainty over who would be targeted has created considerable anxiety throughout the company.
People are nervous.
They don't know what's next. Dreyer said Disney was very pleased at the response to severance offers and that employees understand the company's action. The 4,000 positions represent 3 percent of the company's 120,000 workers. The roughly 1,650 positions eliminated at Walt Disney World and Disneyland and 125 jobs at ABC News account for most of the staff reduction. Disney's European operations survived relatively unscathed because of restrictive labor laws in Europe.