Procter & Gamble (P&G), one of America’s largest consumer goods companies, has just announced a major leadership change—CEO Jon Moeller will step down, and Shailesh Jejurikar, the current COO and a 36-year company veteran, will become President and CEO on January 1, 2026.
But behind this high-profile transition is a more troubling story for working people: P&G is quietly restructuring its operations, trimming its workforce, and streamlining brands in ways that could leave thousands of employees vulnerable to job loss or displacement.
At Employees First Labor Law, we’ve seen this playbook before—corporate “succession planning” used to mask cost-cutting at workers’ expense.
A CEO Transition During Layoffs?
While Wall Street hails this as a seamless transition, here’s what P&G also confirmed:
- A plan to eliminate 7,000+ jobs across non-manufacturing roles over the next two years
- Brand consolidation and divestitures to reduce internal complexity
- A target of saving $1.6 billion in costs—a figure unlikely to come from executive salaries
- Cost pressures from tariffs, shipping, and raw material inflation
The restructuring is expected to hit administrative, sales, marketing, and R&D employees—with no indication yet of who will be affected, when, or how severance and transitions will be handled.
WARN Act: Know Your Rights
If you’re one of the thousands of U.S. employees at risk of layoff, the federal WARN Act (and stronger state-specific versions like California WARN) may entitle you to:
- 60 days’ advance notice before a mass layoff or facility closure
- Back pay and benefits for the period of violation
- Legal recourse if your employer fails to notify you properly
California’s version of the WARN Act kicks in with just 75 layoffs, and requires written notice to workers, local government, and labor agencies.
If P&G fails to comply, affected workers can sue for damages. Unfortunately, we’ve seen major companies treat these notice rules as optional—leaving workers in the lurch.
Don’t Sign That Severance Agreement Yet
Many companies offer severance packages that include legal waivers in exchange for a few weeks’ pay. Don’t be fooled—these are contracts that:
- Can waive your right to sue
- Prevent you from speaking out or joining class actions
- Limit your ability to claim WARN Act penalties, unpaid wages, or retaliation
📢 Talk to a lawyer before you sign anything. What looks like a “deal” could actually be giving up thousands in lost pay or benefits.
Who Is Shailesh Jejurikar?
The new CEO, Shailesh Jejurikar, has spent 36 years at P&G and served in key leadership roles across its Fabric & Home Care, Beauty, and Global Business Services divisions. While his track record is long, one thing is clear:
👉🏽 He’s seen as an execution-focused insider—brought in to drive margin improvements and operational efficiency.
That means one thing: fewer people doing more work.
EFLL Perspective: Culture Change = Worker Risk
Leadership changes like this often signal a deeper corporate shift—toward profit optimization, leaner teams, and automation.
And while shareholders may applaud, workers bear the cost:
- Fewer opportunities for growth or promotion
- More workload consolidation across fewer hands
- Sudden relocations, demotions, or terminations
- A toxic climate of fear, uncertainty, and silence
At EFLL, we believe employees deserve more than a press release. They deserve transparency, accountability, and legal protection.
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