LEGO®

In anticipation of the company’s forthcoming off peak season, the LEGO Group plans to lay off 66 of its hourly paid workers at its Billund plant.

In recent years the LEGO Group has maintained a high level of production in Billund throughout both peak and off peak seasons. This was necessary during the transitional period as the Group developed its non-Danish based factories. That phase is now complete, and the non-Danish based plants are now in scheduled production. Factories in Billund can therefore revert to their normal production cycle of peak and off peak seasons.

Thomas Nielsen, Vice President, Manufacturing and Transition, says:
“Although from the business point of view it is a natural step that we now revert to our normal seasonal fluctuation pattern, it saddens us that we have to say goodbye to good employees. We shall be doing what we can to help them pick up their working lives.”

The affected employees will all be offered support in the form of development or assistance in seeking new jobs.

Commenting on the lay offs, Berit Flindt Pedersen, joint union representative, said:
“Now we’re seeing the result of the transition in production we have witnessed in recent years. Once again, it is hourly paid employees who have to pay the price, and in the current labour market it will unfortunately be very difficult to find new employment.”

Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, LEGO Group CEO:
“We are returning really good business results at the moment – so it can be difficult to accept that we must lay off some of our workforce. But in a seasonal industry like ours, it is a natural process that production fluctuates at different times of the year – and that must necessarily have consequences for employment. We have seen that before, and in future we’ll be seeing it at all our factories. This year we have not been able to adjust purely on the basis of natural wastage and the release of temporary staff – so we are unfortunately forced to cut our workforce numbers.”

The LEGO Group employs approx. 3,000 people in Billund, of whom 1,500 work in production.



For further information, please contact:
Head of Corporate Communications Charlotte Simonsen, phone (+45) 79 50 65 79