One of the country's largest processors of beef, pork and chicken has announced staffing cuts to align with its corporate strategy.
An internal memo to employees from Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King last week confirmed the “necessary decision to reduce headcount across the organization.” King said the “rightsizing” of the company's workforce will include “eliminating approximately 15% of senior leadership roles and 10% of corporate roles.”
A specific number of employees being let go has not been confirmed. King said a majority of discussions with those affected by the layoffs were expected to occur last week.
“We have taken significant steps to execute this strategy and invest in our future,” King said in the memo to employees. “Our decisions have been centered on organizational efficiency and agility, driving faster, prioritized decision-making, and investing in technology and digitalization for our team members and customers.”
In October 2022, Tyson Foods announced the organization would require all corporate team members to relocate to the headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, to “create new roles and remove redundancies.” Two additional corporate offices in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, and the Chicago area closed in the fall, moving about 1,000 team members to the northwest Arkansas location.
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The decisions are part of a larger companywide productivity program announced in December 2021, with a goal of reaching a $1 billion savings target. A company spokesperson said the changes “will allow us to operate with more speed, collaboration and agility and focus on what drives value for our customers and consumers.”
Corporate leadership is scheduled to address shareholders in an earnings call Monday. The company's adjusted earnings per share for the first quarter ending Dec. 31, 2022, were down 70% from the prior year despite a 2.5% sales increase during the same period. Tyson operates on a fiscal year that starts over on the Saturday closest to Sept. 30.
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