Deerfield Headquarters To Remain Open Following Job Cuts: Walgreens

DEERFIELD, IL — Following a report Thursday that Walgreens Boots Alliance is cutting 504 corporate positions, or 10 percent of the corporate workforce, a spokesperson told Patch that the decision will not close the pharmacy giant's Deerfield headquarters.

WBA, the parent company of Walgreens, said the decision is part of a transformation into a "consumer-centric healthcare company." None of the jobs being eliminated are based at any of the company's 9,000 stores across the United States and Canada, according to the spokesperson. Positions at microfullment centers and call centers are also not effected.

The company's Chicago offices will also remain open following the layoffs.

The cuts, first reported by Chicago Sun-Times, follow a move earlier this year when WBA said it is consolidating its entire work space on the Deerfield campus to one group of buildings. In February, WBA said it plans to sell the other two sets of buildings, or essentially two-thirds of the operation. All work will be now be conducted in four buildings at 100 Wilmot Road, with office properties at 200 and 300 Wilmot Road hitting the market.

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"We’re grateful for the many contributions by the team members who will be leaving our organization, and are committed to supporting them as much as possible during this transition," the WBA spokesperson said Friday, adding that the cuts represent less than 1 percent of the total Walgreens workforce in the United States.

In the Sun-Times report, WBA denied the layoffs are connected to a reported $5.4 billion after-tax charge to cover claims and litigation regarding opioids. The company recently reached a settlement with San Francisco to pay $230 million over the sale of opioids there.

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