Massive layoffs at Macy’s, Kohl’s, Gap, Bridgeport bakery, Mystic Seaport

Macy”™s, Kohl”™s and Gap are among the latest major retailers to announce they are furloughing large swaths of their workforce in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, along with the publisher of USA Today, Bridgeport’s Lecoq Cuisine Corp. and the Mystic Seaport Museum.

Macy”™s ”“ which also operates the Bloomingdale”™s and Bluemercury brands ”“ said it is furloughing most of its 130,000 workers in the wake of closing 775 stores earlier this month.

At least through May, workers who are enrolled in health benefits will continue to receive coverage with the company covering 100% of the premium, although salaries will not be paid. The retailer, which said it is transitioning to an “absolute minimum workforce” needed to maintain basic operations, said it expects to “bring colleagues back on a staggered basis as business resumes.”

The company operates Macy”™s stores in Danbury, Stamford, Trumbull, White Plains, Yonkers, and Yorktown Heights; Bloomingdale”™s in Norwalk and White Plains; and Bluemercury in Danbury, Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport (two stores), Bronxville and Rye.

Kohl”™s is furloughing about 85,000 of its roughly 122,000 employees without pay. “The company will continue to provide existing health benefits to furloughed associates at this time, and those impacted may benefit from the recently passed coronavirus stimulus legislation,” it said.

Additional measures include aiming to decrease capital expenditures by approximately $500 million and fully drawing down its $1 billion revolving credit facility.

The chain operates stores in Brookfield, Fairfield, Norwalk, Ridgefield, and Trumbull in Fairfield County, and in Bedford Hills, Cortlandt Manor, Port Chester and Yonkers in Westchester County.

Gap Inc., which operates the Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy brands, said it will furlough the majority of its employees in the U.S. and Canada, “pausing pay but continuing to offer applicable benefits until stores are able to reopen.”

Its operations include stores in Danbury, Fairfield, Stamford and Westport in Fairfield County, and in Larchmont, Mount Kisco, Scarsdale, White Plains and Yonkers in Westchester.

In addition, Gannett is furloughing employees at more than 100 newspapers across the country, including USA Today, the Journal News in White Plains and the Arizona Republic. Workers who make more than $38,000 a year will be required to take one week of unpaid leave in April, May and June.

Also, Bridgeport”™s Lecoq Cuisine Corp., a wholesale bakery, has informed the Connecticut Department of Labor that it has laid off 181 workers. “Although this action may be temporary, given the uncertainty created by this pandemic, this separation may be permanent,” wrote Chief People Officer Laura Brown.

Farther north, the Mystic Seaport Museum informed the Labor Department that, effective April 1, it is laying off approximately 199 employees, 68 of whom were full time. “These layoffs should be considered permanent, as we cannot estimate when the museum will reopen and when we will need to increase staffing levels,” wrote Human Resources Director Jeanne Gade.