I feel the need to respond to this, and I want to preface my comment by stating that this is absolutely not a personal attack on you, or any other employee who is not part of the greater corporate structure at Sephora.
They did NOT lay off ALL of their part time employees. That would be impossible. They laid off SOME of their part timers, most who worked minimal hours and did not receive benefits through Sephora.
That may be the case for you and your coworkers, but how long do you think they’ll continue to pay non-management retail employees? If the deadlines get extended into June (or beyond, which they absolutely should if our country wants to minimize deaths and successfully mitigate the epidemic until a vaccine is developed), do you truly believe that your day won’t come? How would you feel if you and/or your friends were fired in such an impersonal and uncaring way?
The sad reality is that Sephora fucked over 3k employees who they - very explicitly - pledged not to fire. They wanted to cash in on the positive PR of being a company who “cared” about their employees at the start of the epidemic, but not even a month later it is clear that they didn’t honestly mean anything they said.
The linked article mentions another meaningless platitude from Sephora:
We also recognize that we are in a position to support the collective fight against COVID-19. Following guidance from public health authorities, we understand that practicing social distancing and reducing dense public gatherings as much as possible is critically important at this time. This is truly a global effort that requires all of our participation.
No shit! Every. Single. Person. has a crucial part to play, and if Sephora isn’t keeping their most vulnerable part-time employees (the vast majority of whom absolutely need the income right now), then what role is the company playing? Brick and mortar stores have been ordered shut in virtually all states. Large social gatherings are banned. What, exactly, are they doing to “support the collective fight” beyond following local/state/government mandates? They can’t claim they’re doing it out of concern for their employees and community - they literally MUST comply or be fined.
Unless Sephora and its parent company are donating substantial funds or supplies to those in desperate need, they (as a company) need to shut the fuck up and not act like they’re doing anything out of kindness and compassion.
Again, I’m not blasting you as a person. I’m encouraging you to put yourself in the shoes of the people who were unceremoniously fired with no warning and no useful assistance.
One last thing before I hop off this soapbox - it is vitally important what we all pay attention to, and act on, what politicians and corporations are doing right now. There are a staggering amount of underhanded and shady deals transpiring, and we must hold those involved accountable. The virus won’t magically vanish, and global pandemics will always be a threat. Things will never be the same, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. We have the opportunity and motivation to come together and effect significant positive change...with some effort, this tragedy could be a jumping off point for improving many of the things that are wrong in our society. IDGAF if this sounds sappy - we owe it to those putting their lives on the line, those who are suffering, and the thousands that have died or will die, to learn from this tragedy and work towards creating a better world.