Belk confirms layoffs related to COVID at its corporate headquarters in Charlotte

Charlotte-based Belk has made a number of layoffs because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, including at its corporate headquarters, a company spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.

The company refused to disclose the total number of people who are losing their jobs. Belk has about 1,300 employees at the corporate office at 2801 W. Tyvola Road.

“In order to weather the impacts of COVID-19, Belk has had to make some of the most difficult decisions of its 130-year history,” the company said in a statement.

Belk said it is providing severance packages and outplacement services to support those affected by the layoffs.

In February, the company cut 80 corporate jobs citing restructuring.

The latest layoffs come after temporary furloughs and senior staff pay cuts were announced in March, due to closing its 291 stores in 16 Southern states because of COVID-19. Stores began reopening as states allowed in early May.

On Wednesday, Belk said it is incrementally returning the remaining furloughed corporate employees to work through August.

The department store, founded in Monroe in 1888, has about 20,000 employees working at its 291 stores in 16 Southern states. Belk was sold in 2015 to the private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $3 billion.

This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Belk confirms layoffs related to COVID at its corporate headquarters in Charlotte."