For workers who thought they had stable jobs, one ordinary day turned into a life-altering moment. Now, new developments are bringing fresh uncertainty for others connected to the same facility.
Massive unexpected layoffs in 2025
In a sudden move that has shaken Central Florida’s workforce, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division abruptly shut down its long-standing manufacturing plant on Silver Star Road on November 4, immediately laying off 454 workers without advance warning. Because the workers weren’t given the required 60 days’ advance notice, they were all entitled to 60 days of pay with benefits.
Under federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) requirements, employers are generally expected to provide at least 60 days’ notice before mass layoffs or plant closures. In this case, the company’s filing acknowledged the action would be effective “contemporaneously with termination,” offering 60 days’ pay in lieu of notice to workers dismissed that day — but critics say this falls short of meaningful transition support.
A question of benefits
The decision came without warning for hourly production staff, including packaging machine operators, maintenance workers, and laborers — many of whom had spent decades on the job. Local officials and worker advocates argue that providing pay instead of written notice deprived employees of the chance to prepare for job loss, seek retraining, or secure new employment with health benefits intact.
Adding to the controversy, a separate Frito-Lay warehouse just blocks away on Park Oaks Avenue is scheduled to close on May 9, 2026, affecting 46 employees who will not receive the same pay-in-lieu package or continued benefits. The WARN notice for the future cuts makes no explicit provision for severance pay or extended benefits, leaving those workers and their families facing uncertainty months before their roles are eliminated.
PepsiCo offers some support
PepsiCo (the parent company of Frito-Lay) has stated it will offer career support services, including financial planning assistance, resume workshops, and job-search resources to all displaced workers. But for many longtime employees, the lack of formal notice and tangible transition support has deepened the blow of an already difficult loss…