Disney to furlough non-union employees at theme parks, waives annual pass fees

Without a clear idea of when its parks will be able to reopen, Disney announced plans to furlough non-union workers and stop collecting payments for its annual park passes, CNBC reports.

“Disney employees have received full pay and benefits during this time, and we’ve committed to paying them through April 18, for a total of five additional weeks of compensation,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “However, with no clear indication of when we can restart our businesses, we’re forced to make the difficult decision to take the next step and furlough employees whose jobs aren’t necessary at this time.”

Employees whose roles or projects are crucial to maintaining operations during this closure period will remain on duty, Disney said.

During the furlough, employees will receive full health-care benefits, with Disney paying the cost of employee and company premiums. They also will be able to continue with their Disney Aspire education programs, the company said.

Employees will also be eligible for $600 per week in federal compensation through the $2 trillion economic stimulus bill, as well as state unemployment insurance, according to Disney.