Disney Sued by Employees Over Canceled Florida Move

The Walt Disney Company is facing a lawsuit from employees over its decision to relocate 2,000 workers from California to a proposed campus in Lake Nona, Florida, which was later canceled. The move was intended to take advantage of Florida tax credits, but was met with resistance from employees. The lawsuit, filed by current Disney employees Maria De La Cruz and George Fong in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that Disney manipulated employees into believing they would lose their jobs if they did not relocate.

The plaintiffs claim they were given 90 days to make a decision about the relocation and agreed to move in November 2021. They argue that Disney's compensation packages for the relocation were inadequate and that the company canceled the Lake Nona project a year later, after many employees had already sold their homes and moved. The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages and aims to represent all current and former California Disney employees affected by the relocation plan.

The cancellation of the Lake Nona project in May 2023 reportedly affected the housing markets, causing home prices in Orlando to fall while prices in Los Angeles increased. Disney has not commented on the lawsuit, but the legal action underscores the tension and financial impact on employees stemming from the company's relocation strategy.