Gym chain 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide Inc. laid off an undisclosed number of employees in multiple states via a series of phone calls yesterday, as the company struggles to address the financial impact of closures during the coronavirus pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reported. In the latest example of a remote layoff, 24 Hour Fitness employees received an email on Monday from Tami Majer, chief human resources officer, asking them to join a phone call yesterday for “important company updates.” The message stated that employees would be compensated for one hour of work and asked them not to share the call-in details. According to multiple employees interviewed, those who joined the calls learned they would be laid off, effective immediately. No information about severance or continued benefits was provided on the call, according to the employees. The company later sent an email to laid-off employees, who included fitness instructors, personal trainers and sales staff. As a result of the economic impact from the coronavirus, 24 Hour Fitness “had to take the very difficult action of separating from employment many team members across the organization,” according to the email.
