Canadian cable giant Shaw Communications on Tuesday said it will temporarily lay off around 1,000 employees, or 10 percent of its workforce.
The Calgary-based media company cited "the extraordinary and unpredictable conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic" for the furloughs set to begin Thursday.
The company said it currently has around 10,000 employees and the temporary layoffs will mostly fall in retail and sales divisions heavily impacted by current health safety precautions. "With our gratitude, we will be providing financial support to affected employees beyond applicable government programs, and we look forward to welcoming them back when business conditions improve," Shaw president Paul McAleese said in a statement.