MAM
McDonald’s India introduces a unique ‘Work from Home’ policy for its Restaurant Management Team and Frontline Crew
MUMBAI: Westlife Development Ltd that owns and operates McDonald’s Restaurants in West and South India has introduced a unique ‘Work From Home’ policy for its restaurant management teams and the frontline crew, who are unable to go to work due to the nation-wide lock down. The move is intended to keep the youth of the country productively engaged in these unprecedented times and upskill them for a strong comeback as soon as normalcy resumes.
The company has adapted many of its classroom training modules digitally, and introduced e-learning modules, quizzes, masterclasses by managers and many more creative learning sessions, which employees can access on their phone while in quarantine at home. This initiative by Westlife Development is aimed to make sure that the team continues to learn and grow even when they are staying home.
The e-learning modules include McCafé masterclass, equipment masterclass and a number of development and orientation programs for employees across different positions in the restaurants, among others. The initiative is set to benefit the company’s close to 10,000 employees, who can access these modules at the click of a button on their digital devices including mobile phones.
The company has created a strong framework to support employees through the process and track their progress on a regular basis. This has been enabled by the company’s strong digital capabilities that have been developed to support agility and innovation.
Speaking on this one-of-a-kind initiative, Seema Arora Nambiar, Senior Vice President, Menu, Marketing and People Resources at McDonald’s India West and South says “At McDonald’s India, we are committed to the well-being and growth of our people. In these unprecedented times, we have created this unique program to make sure that our crew is empowered to use their time efficiently. Through this, we hope to keep our people engaged, connected and motivated, so they are able to come back to work better and stronger.”
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
