ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- SeaWorld is expected to permanently lay off some of its furloughed employees, according to a financial document obtained by ABC Action News on Friday.
Earlier in the year, SeaWorld furloughed about 90 percent of its employees, documents say. ABC Action News is reaching out to SeaWorld to figure out exactly how many of the furloughed employees will be let go permanently.
According to Friday's document, the employees were furloughed in March as part of the company's efforts to "reduce operating expenses and adjust cash flows in light of business circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic."
Below is the Form 8-K filed by SeaWorld on Friday:
SeaWorld released the following statement:
“The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on each of our lives, in ways both small and profound. The same is true for the travel, tourism, entertainment, and hospitality industries, and the operations of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc.
While we were able to bring thousands of furloughed Ambassadors back to work and hoped to bring back everyone, the current environment requires us to setup the company for long term success. SeaWorld has determined that it must transition certain park and corporate personnel from a furloughed status to a permanent layoff.
We deeply appreciate the hard work and dedication of our Ambassadors to our company’s shared mission, values, and goals. Over our 60-year history, our parks have inspired millions of guests to love, protect and care for our planet’s animals and their habitats. We are sorry to have to part ways with any team members in this difficult moment, but their abiding commitment to our guests, fellow Ambassadors and animals is recognized and made a lasting impact.”
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