United COO says employees should 'seriously consider' voluntary separation from the airline

A top executive at United is telling employees to consider leaving the company voluntarily as it grapples with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. In a memo to some United staffers, Greg Hart — the company's COO — said the airline will need to "right size" its workforce. "You may want to seriously consider if you're in a position to take a voluntary separation," Hart wrote. He added, "You, alone, can decide if a [Voluntary Separation Program] works for you and your family." Hart said executive salaries have been cut and that the airline is trying to be transparent with its rank-and-file workforce. "We recognize that this is painful news, but it provides what we believe is the most accurate assessment of what lies ahead for our company," he said. United announced last month that it was cutting its May and June schedule by about 90% of what was originally planned at the start of the year. The airline is precluded from laying off staff for the next six months under terms of a federal financial assistance package that will provide it with about $5b, though it is preparing to cut staff as soon as Oct. 1, according to an April letter sent to staff by CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby.<br/>