IKEA Israel extends the vacation without pay of hundreds of workers for another 2 months

IKEA Israel is conducting a series of streamlining measures: The home furnishings network extends the vacation without pay of hundreds of its employees for another two months following the Corona epidemic. But these, too, will return to a new reality, of limited hours of operation. Starting next week, IKEA will close its doors at 7pm instead of 9pm, except on Thursdays which operate until 10pm instead of midnight. In addition, the company will no longer open its stores on Saturday night.
The chain, which took its 1,500 employees on leave without pay in March, is preparing to repatriate only 200 of them in addition to the 1,000 already able to return to work. In total, the IAA will be extended to about 300 employees.
 In a letter to company employees, IKEA CEO Shuki Koblenz wrote that "the changes in consumption habits and uncertainty that accompany the period require us to initiate and rethink aspects of practices, in-store operations, downtime and more. We identify two major changes in consumption habits. One, focusing on shopping is defined 'on demand' and reducing the shopping phenomenon, and the other, changes in 'consumption hours' in the various markets manifested by a significant reduction in evening and night consumption. The changes in habits are true not only for customers, but for us, employees are also changing their preferences, mainly for evening hours, weekend rest and a better day-to-day routine. "
Against the backdrop of the changes, Koblenz has been holding discussions with the Workers' Committee and the National Federation over the past few weeks to formulate a response to workers who will not be settled in the company.
Employees who choose not to continue with the company will provide a monetary retirement package subject to the company's seniority. in so doing.
In mid-March, IKEA issued its employees to the UAE. The return of employees is particularly troubling because IKEA was the first network to receive regular work permits, under the first relief plan formulated after Passover. In Israel, Matthew Bronfman and Shulam Fischer, former Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, led the introduction of furniture stores to the initial relief outline, although this is not a vital need.