Ford cuts contract workers effective immediately, declines to say how many

Ford Motor Co. ended the first week of December confirming publicly that delivery of its 2021 Ford Bronco would be delayed, and then informing contract employees their commitments would be terminated.

Contract workers were notified by their agency employers late Friday that “their assignment at Ford has ended,” Ford spokesman Ian Thibodeau confirmed to the Free Press.

Cuts were effective immediately upon notice, Thibodeau said.

“This adjustment is part of our continued effort to refine the work we need to do and the people required to do it,” he said.

He declined to say how many people had been let go and which departments had been affected. 

Ford has long- and short-term employees working on contract in areas including engineering product development, purchasing and information technology.

Engineers, for example, may work years on product launches at Ford though technically employed by an outside agency. Contract employees are rarely given severance or health care; their pay ends immediately.

The Free Press reached out to an accomplished engineer who was among those just cut. He declined to discuss details about how many colleagues had lost their jobs, saying the only priority now is finding work during this Christmas season and figuring out how  to support a family.

Other contract engineers declined to respond to requests for comment.

Salaried employees

Also Friday, U.S. salaried employees learned that the buyout opportunity announced in September had closed and that no additional cuts would occur in 2020.

The number of Ford employees retiring as part of the Voluntary Incentive Program fell “within the range” of a goal stated previously, Thibodeau said. “There will be no further salaried retirements or separations associated with the program.”