McDonald's to close 10 US field offices and lay off hundreds of corporate employees, report says

• McDonald's is laying off hundreds of corporate staff, Restaurant Business reported Thursday.
• The chain reportedly is also closing 10 physical office spaces, moving some teams to permanent remote work.
• McDonald's employees have expected job cuts since January, Insider reported.

McDonald's reportedly is closing offices and laying off hundreds of employees as part of an anticipated corporate restructuring.

The company is letting go of "less than 1,000" employees, Restaurant Business reported on Thursday. The exact number of positions affected by the layoffs wasn't clear. Prior to the reduction, McDonald's had about 150,000 employees across its corporate teams and company-owned restaurants.

"These decisions weren't easy to make, but I am confident this is the right path forward to improve how we solve problems for our customers and people," McDonald's US president, Joe Erlinger, said in a message to employees seen by Restaurant Business.

McDonald's is also shuttering 10 field offices, according to Restaurant Business. It says the restaurant chain has field offices in cities such as Dallas, Nashville, and Long Beach, California. The employees who previously reported to those offices will work remotely permanently, the article said.

Field officers spend much of their time traveling and visiting McDonald's restaurants, and office attendance has taken an additional hit over the last few years due to the pandemic, Restaurant Business reported.

The 10 field divisions will remain, though McDonald's is combining them under a single structure for the whole US. Previously, the chain divided its field offices between one zone for the East and one for the West, Restaurant Business reported. 

The reorganizing is also bringing some promotions with it. Michael Gonda will become McDonald's chief impact officer for North America after working as global chief communications officer. That role will be filled by Sandy Rodriguez, currently vice president of U.S. communications, according to Restaurant Business.

Myra Doria will be McDonald's national field president, according to the report.

A McDonald's spokesperson declined to comment on Restaurant Business's coverage or the reorganization.

McDonald's employees have been expecting job cuts since January. Back then, CEO Chris Kempczinski told employees that layoffs were possible in April. The cuts "will help us move faster as an organization, while reducing our global costs and freeing up resources to invest in our growth," Kempczinski said in a memo to employees.

The reductions are part of McDonald's "Accelerating the Organization" and "Accelerating the Arches" growth strategy. The chain told employees last week to work from home between April 3-5 and cancel meetings at its headquarters in Chicago as it conducted the layoffs, according to a memo seen by Insider.