Tyson Foods to lay off over 200 staff who declined relocation
Tyson Foods is set to eliminate the positions of over 200 employees who have chosen not to relocate from South Dakota to the company's headquarters in Arkansas.
With a distance of 383 miles (616 km) between the company's locations in Dakota Dunes and Arkansas, a total of 262 workers have made the decision not to transfer between the two sites.
According to a Reuters report, the Dakota Dunes office, which currently employs approximately 500 individuals, has seen just over half of its employees choose to relocate.
“When we announced the move to our corporate office in Arkansas, our goal was to make the proposition of relocating as attractive and easy as possible while understanding that some may not be able to make the move,” the company in a statement.
“For those who cannot move, we appreciate each of their many contributions. For those who have made the decision to move, we are extremely grateful and look forward to building the future of Tyson Foods together. We believe that bringing our team members together will facilitate more growth opportunities, foster closer collaboration, enhance team member agility and enhance faster decision making,” read the statement further.
In October, Tyson made the decision to close down three corporate sites, including the Dakota Dunes facility, and consolidate its operations into a single office based in Springdale, Arkansas. The three sites collectively employed approximately 1,000 workers.
In recent weeks, the meat industry leader has faced investor scrutiny due to sales pressure and a downward revision of its guidance. During the previous month, Tyson Foods announced a loss for the second quarter, attributing it to margin pressure and stagnant sales. The company acknowledged that the results fell short of expectations and consequently reduced its annual sales forecast.
To enhance cost-efficiency and overall effectiveness, the company is actively implementing measures such as plant closures and reductions in senior executive positions. Tyson Foods, with a workforce of around 120,000 employees in the United States, has approximately 114,000 individuals engaged in factory work.
