CVS Health Laying Off More Than 200 NJ Workers In Round Of Job Cuts

NEW JERSEY — CVS Health is laying off 207 workers in various locations throughout New Jersey as part of an effort to cut costs, according to the company and the state Department of Labor.

The news comes after the pharmacy and retail chain announced it would be laying off 5,000 workers across the United States, primarily in "non-customer facing positions."

The layoffs will happen sometimes between Nov. 15 and Dec. 31 at multiple unspecified locations in the Garden State, according to the worker adjustment and retraining notification (WARN) notification filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Mike DeAngelis, the executive director of corporate communications for CVS, told Patch that these layoffs are not expected to include employees working in the stores, pharmacies, clinics, or customer service centers. But in 2021, the company announced plans to close 900 stores within three years.

"Our industry is evolving to adapt to new consumer health needs and expectations," DeAngelis said. "As part of an enterprise initiative to reprioritize our investments around care delivery and technology, we must take difficult steps to reduce expenses ... We’re committed to supporting impacted colleagues, and they will receive severance pay and benefits, including access to outplacement services."

DeAngelis added that the company remains "focused on our mission – continuing to provide the exceptional care and support our customers, patients and communities deserve and depend on."

According to a recent news release from the company, CVS Health employs over 300,000 people. The Rhode Island-based company operates more than 9,000 retail locations and 1,100 walk-in clinics in the United States.

CVS Health completed two acquisitions this spring—Signify Health in March and Oak Street Health in May—as part of its mission to advance its "value-based care strategy," according to the company. CVS Health acquired Aetna in 2018.

A law that went into effect in April expanded New Jersey's WARN Act, and requires businesses with 100 or more full-time employees laying off 50 or more workers to pay one week of severance for every year the worker was employed. Workers must also be notified 90 days before the layoff, up from the previous 60 days. Severance must also be paid to both full- and part-time workers.

Related articles:

• Lawsuit Targeting New Severance Pay Law Is Dismissed By Judge
• The NJ Companies With The Biggest Layoffs In 2022

This article contains reporting from Patch's Cailin Loesch.